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 when the District Assemblies Common Fund(DACF) will be released in each quarter to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies(MMDAs )
According to them, these was to ensure prompt and predictable disbursement of the DACF to the MMDAs to allow for proper planning, continuity of projects and improved accountability
This was contained in a statement issued by the Executive Director of the Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA), Alhaji Osman Abdel-Rahman and copied to The Ghanaian Times and formed part to mark this year’s celebration of Africa Union Decentralisation and Local Development Day here in Tamale yesterday.
This according to the statement, the GDCA through the ongoing constitutional review process, the GDCA made a proposal to the committee to increase the DACF from current 5 per cent to 15 per cent and outlaw upfront deduction to ensure enough resources for MMDAs to undertake meaningful developmental projects.
The statement further stated that, GDCA were concerned that the national policies based 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 on “Building Resilient Communities through Inclusive Decentralisation and equitable Development”
This underscores the need to assess policy and institutional progress made since 2014 African Charter on Decentralisation was established and propose strategic directions to deepen decentralisation reforms across Members State.
This 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 marked in August every year and aimed 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
This according to the statement the day often observed with events such as workshops and dialogue, held at national and local levels to share best practices, assess progress and mobilises actions towards inclusive and resilient communities.
The statement said, despite the progress made in Ghana’s decentralisation journey with successful creation of 261 MMDAs.
The GDCA said the 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 and participation, and efficient service delivery.
