Publish quarterly timetable for DACF disbursement – GDCA

 The  Ghana Developing Communities Association(G­DCA), a non – governmental organisation based in Tamale, has called on the Ministry of Finance and all relevant agencies to publish a timetable indicating the release of the District Assem­blies Common Fund (DACF) in each quarter to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assem­blies (MMDAs).

According to GDCA, it will ensure prompt and predictable disbursement of the DACF to the MMDAs, to allow for proper planning, continuity of projects and improve accountability.

This was contained in a state­ment issued by the Executive Director of the GDCA, Alha­ji Osman Abdel-Rahman, and copied to The Ghanaian Times as part of activities marking this year’s Africa Union Decentralisa­tion and Local Development Day celebration here in Tamale.

The statement also stated that the GDCA, through the ongoing constitutional review process, made a proposal to the commit­tee to increase the DACF from current five per cent to 15 per cent and outlaw upfront deduc­tion to ensure enough resources for MMDAs in order to under­take meaningful developmental projects.

The statement added that GDCA was concerned that the national policies based on politi­cal parties manifestos were load­ed onto the DACF, thus limiting the autonomy of the MMDAs to carry out their own development priorities.

The theme for this year’s cel­ebration was ‘Building Resilient Communities through Inclusive Decentralisation and Equitable Development.’

This underscores the need to assess policy and institutional progress made since 2014. The African Charter on Decen­tralisation was established and proposed strategic directions to deepen decentralisation reforms across Member States.

Furthermore, it was also to strengthen stakeholder en­gagement, especially of youth, women and marginalised groups in decision-making process to harness Africa’s demographic dividend through localised em­powerment.

The AU Decentralisation and Local Development Day is marked in August every year and aim to promote the values and principles of decentralisation, local governance and local devel­opment across the continent.

It is a day for stakeholders to reflect on the progress of decen­tralisation and discuss strategies for strengthening local gover­nance and inclusive development.

The statement again explained that the day is often observed with events such as workshops and dialogue, held at national and local levels to share best practic­es, assess progress and mobilise actions towards inclusive and resilient communities.

Moreover, it indicated that de­spite the progress made in Gha­na’s decentralisation journey with the successful creation of 261 MMDAs, key challenges remain in areas such as funding, human resources and ensuring effective coordination among different levels of government.

The statement said Ghana continues to refine her decentral­isation policies, including efforts to fully decentralise key sectors such as health, education and agriculture.

According to the statement, the local governance played a vital role in promoting grassroots development, participation, and efficient service delivery.

FROM TIMES REPORTER, TAMALE

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