Parliament to approve GH¢530.7m for 2011 Common Fund

Over GH¢334.3 million would be available for distribution to the districts, municipal and metropolitan assemblies after deductions have been set aside for the Reserve Fund, the National Youth Employment Programme, disabled persons, cured lepers and for training programmes.

The distribution would follow Parliamentary approval which is expected to take place before Parliament goes on recess.

A report by Parliament’s Committee of the Whole said in the 2011 budget, the House approved an amount of over GH¢530.7 million for the district assemblies and it is expected after the above deductions are made, the GH¢33.4 3 million would be distributed to the assemblies based on Parliament’s approval of a formula for the sharing of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).

It is a constitutional requirement that every year the Administrator of the DACF presents a proposal to Parliament to approve for the sharing of the Common Fund to the districts.

Members of Parliament are expected to approve a motion for the adoption of the Committee of the Whole’s report outlining a proposal for the sharing of the funds to the assemblies.

The proposed indicators and factors to be considered for the sharing of the 2011 Common Fund include health, water coverage, teacher/pupil ratio and doctor/population ratio.

The Committee of the Whole’s report recommends that the districts should be encouraged to improve on their revenue mobilization programmes so that they do not solely depend on government funds for developmental activities.

By Eunice Menka