Prime News Ghana

Disability groups to access funds from district assemblies without difficulties

By Anny Osabutey
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Head of the District Assemblies Common Fund, Naa Torshie Addo, has given assurance to persons with disability they will no longer have to struggle in accessing funds meant for them from the various districts and municipal assemblies, once she assumes her position.

The former Tema West Member of Parliament told the Appointment Committee of Parliament on Tuesday during her vetting for the position that, she has a fairer understanding of the challenges confronting persons with disability at the various districts regarding their inability to access monies allocated to them and, she is determined to  work with the MPs to ensure the various assemblies release the money to them in a timeous manner.

“We are going to adopt the LEAP (Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty) model where beneficiaries will be adequately registered,” she said.

Ms. Torshie Addo says she does not want a situation where six people will be given the money and their photographs splashed in the dailies as if the entire group within a specific district benefited.

The  District Assemblies’ Common Fund (DACF) is a pool of resources created under Article 252 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana.

It is a minimum of 5.0% of the national revenue set aside to be shared among all District Assemblies in Ghana with a formula approved by Parliament.

The fund is a Development Fund which enables the use of the nation’s wealth throughout Ghana to the benefit of all citizens.

The Common Fund is a development Fund that is intended to ensure equitable development of the various Assemblies in the country.The DACF Administrator is the Manager of the Fund. However, ensuring the success of the Fund is not the sole responsibility of the Administrator but a collective responsibility of all stakeholders including the government, the Administrator, officials of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) that receive the fund, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Civil Society who benefited from the fund.

Ms. Torshie Addo also assured the MPs she will work with them to ensure their allocations are not only given to them but greater  transparency is brought to bear on the operations of the fund.