Daniel Kenneth, the District Chief Executive for Okere, has confirmed that the assembly received only GH¢1million out of the GH¢4 million expected to be released into the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) by the government for the year 2021.
The amount received represents 25 per cent of the fund.
Mr Kenneth revealed that Dan Botwe, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere Constituency in the Eastern Region, who is the Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, also received just 30 per cent of the MP’s Common Fund during the year under review.
“With the District Assembly Common Fund, the government is supposed to release GH¢4 million to us but at the end of the year 2021 we received GH¢1 million representing 25 per cent because of COVID-19 pandemic and its economic effect which is an indication we must increase our Internal Generated Fund (IGF) to enable us undertake developmental projects,” he stated.
Speaking at the assembly’s maiden edition of accounting to the people at Okere, Mr Kenneth lamented that the MP for the Constituency was expected to receive GH¢1.5 million as common fund but received only 30 per centhowever, the assembly was projected to receive GH¢1.5 million but managed to receive GH¢1 million from the Responsive Grant due to its good performance.
The statement by the Okere DCE corroborate claims by Minority in Parliament the Ministry of Finance has failed to release funds to District Assemblies Common Fund for the whole of 2021 but the allegation has been vehemently rejected by the deputy minister of Finance, Abena Osei-Asare.
According to Mr Kenneth, despite the financial challenges the district faced amidst the assembly’s inability to meet it revenue target, it was able to fairly embark on some developmental projects with available revenue generated internally and externally and explained the assembly’s internal generated funds accrued was GH¢428,000 representing 85 per cent of the revenue target for the year 2021.
However, he disclosed that donor funds which contributed hugely to the assembly’s revenue had seen a sharp decline due to the effect of the pandemic on donor countries and appealed to residents of Okere district to accept the Electronic Transaction Levy (E- Levy policy to help facilitate progress, growth and development. –starrfm.com.gh
