'This cannot be entertained' - Minority criticises Mahama over silence on statutory funds

The Minority in Parliament is accusing the Mahama administration of withholding funds. This has been happening for nearly six months.

They warn that delays in releasing statutory allocations are harming local governance and social services.

At a press conference, Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh criticized the government. He called it a blatant disregard for the law.

“It is surprising that not even a penny has gone to the assemblies,” he said. The total allocation was GH¢7.7 billion.

He referenced Act 936 of the Local Governance Act. This law mandates quarterly disbursements, which he claims have not occurred.

Annoh-Dompreh stated that over GH¢7.5 billion was allocated to the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) in the 2024 Budget. Yet, he noted, no funds have been disbursed this year.

He claimed the new Common Fund Administrator is “sitting idle.” Checks at the fund secretariat confirmed no disbursements had been made.

He also mentioned issues with other funds. The National Health Insurance Fund received an allocation of GH¢9.92 billion but has seen no payments.

“My check tells me no amount has been paid,” he said about GETFund as well, which had a GH¢4.1 billion allocation with no payments made.

Annoh-Dompreh revealed that Parliament hasn’t received its second-quarter releases either. “Before we started this press conference, I checked the accounts—nothing has been paid.”

He described these statutory funds as “the oxygen” of the Assemblies. He emphasized that there’s no valid defense for this situation; it’s mandatory and backed by law.

Frank Annoh-Dompreh targeted Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson directly.

“The framers of our laws tagged these payments as statutory because they relate to basic necessities,” he explained.

He questioned why new taxes are being collected while ignoring mandated disbursements.

“The Growth and Sustainability Levy increased from 1% to 3%. VAT on non-life insurance also rose,” he noted.

“You’ve introduced taxes and collected them but are ignoring statutory payments,” he added.

Mr. Annoh-Dompreh accused the government of holding back spending to create a false sense of economic stability.

“Is it so we can make our books look good?” he asked rhetorically, sounding a note of caution about citizens' suffering due to these actions.

He highlighted severe impacts on vulnerable groups like persons with disabilities and farmers due to lack of funding from common funds.

“Not even a penny has been paid from the Social Investment Fund,” he challenged, noting all provisions are included in the budget.

Annoh-Dompreh expressed concern about how this administration is misusing its initial goodwill year.

“They do all their bad deeds while enjoying goodwill,” he said regarding statutory payments being neglected.

“This cannot be entertained,” he warned firmly.

“We will continue raising concerns about these issues," he concluded, emphasizing their importance for citizens’ welfare and legal compliance.