Minority Condemns Government For Failure To Disburse Statutory Funds

The Minority in Parliament has issued strong criticism against the government and Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson over the non-payment of critical statutory funds, labeling the delay a blatant violation of financial regulations and a serious threat to local governance and development.

Speaking to journalists in Parliament, Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, expressed deep concern over the government’s failure to disburse key funds mandated by law. These include the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), Social Investment Fund (SIF), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), and second-quarter releases for Parliament.

According to Annoh-Dompreh, the Constitution and Act 963 clearly mandate quarterly disbursements to support decentralized governance and the smooth operation of essential services. The continued delay, he noted, undermines these efforts and disrupts the work of local institutions.

“The government has collected the taxes, yet refuses to release the funds to the institutions they are meant for,” he stated. “This is severely affecting the operations of local assemblies and other institutions that depend on these funds to function effectively.”

He further accused the Finance Minister of unilaterally deciding to defer the payments until June 2025 without providing transparency or accounting for how already-collected funds have been utilized.

Annoh-Dompreh pointed out that the 2025 national budget allocated over GH¢7 billion for local governance-related disbursements, none of which has been paid so far.

The Minority, he warned, would not allow the situation to persist unchecked. They intend to pursue all constitutional and parliamentary options available to compel the government to meet its financial obligations.

“We will not allow this administration to continue these violations in its first year of office without consequences,” he declared.

Minority Chases Government Over Non-Payment of Statutory Funds

The Minority in Parliament is raising red flags over the non-payment of key statutory funds nearly six months into the tenure of President John Mahama’s administration, describing the delay as unlawful and… pic.twitter.com/moPPbPxMsj

— Mr Irish (@MrIrish3) May 22, 2025

Source: AdomOnline.com