Accra: The Minority Caucus in Parliament has raised concerns over the government's 2025 Guidelines for the utilisation of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), accusing it of attempting to undermine parliamentary authority. During a press conference, Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh labeled the guidelines as unconstitutional and inconsistent with the formula approved by Parliament.
According to Ghana Web, Annoh-Dompreh pointed to Article 252 of the 1992 Constitution, which grants Parliament exclusive authority to determine the formula for the distribution of the DACF among the 261 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs). He emphasized that this authority is binding and not merely symbolic or advisory.
Annoh-Dompreh criticized the ministerial guidelines for introducing fixed national expenditure percentages not included in the parliamentary formula, describing the move as substitutive rather than supplementary. He further argued that the action is ultra vires, stating that Section 126 of the Local Governance Act only allows for facilitative guidelines, not a structural redesign.
In his concluding remarks, Annoh-Dompreh asserted, "We are not opposed to development. We are opposed to illegality," signaling the Minority's firm stance against the government's approach to the DACF guidelines.