Education Minister and Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu, has urged the government to begin implementing its manifesto pledge to increase the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) allocation from 5% to 7.5% of the country’s total projected revenue.
Mr Iddrisu proposed a phased approach starting in 2027, with a one-percentage-point increase in 2027 and another one percentage point in 2028.
Speaking at the second National Dialogue on Decentralisation and Responsive Governance on Monday, August 10, he said the move would strengthen decentralisation and give Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) greater financial independence.
He noted that the NDC’s manifesto commitment was to restore the DACF to 7.5%, a level he said was achieved under the late President John Evans Atta Mills.
According to Mr Iddrisu, the proposed increases should be tied to specific sectors, particularly health and education, to give local authorities greater responsibility in delivering essential services.
He suggested that one percentage point of the increase could be dedicated to health, enabling metropolitan and other assemblies to recruit health professionals such as doctors and nurses directly.
The other one percentage point, he said, could be allocated to education to support devolution and strengthen local participation and accountability in the sector.
“We cannot be walking back on policy principles that we all agreed to that deepen democratic decentralisation, make it competitive and elective, open it up, and deepen citizens’ accountability,” he said.
Mr Iddrisu further argued that financial independence was essential if MMDAs were to effectively perform their responsibilities under a decentralised system.
He cautioned that excessive reliance on releases from the central government could limit the ability of local authorities to function effectively.
He said the proposed increase in the DACF should therefore form part of broader efforts to deepen democratic decentralisation, including the government’s plans to strengthen the role of elected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).
“Just like me, the Education Minister, I won’t function well without GETFund,” Mr Iddrisu said, stressing the importance of predictable funding for institutions to deliver on their mandates.
