Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has disclosed that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have received GH¢9.1 billion in allocations from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) since the Mahama administration assumed office,
The GH¢9.1 billion DACF transfer covers six quarters, comprising all four quarters of 2025 and the first two quarters of 2026, according to the Minister.
Mr Ayariga disclosed on Monday, October 5, 2026, during the Government Accountability Series at Jubilee House in Accra, where he outlined the government’s approach to strengthening local governance and decentralisation.
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“The Ministry has facilitated the transfer of total amount of GH¢9.1 billion, six quarters of the DACF, to MMDAs for the provision of socio-economic infrastructure and improved living conditions for the Ghanaian people,” he said.
The Minister said the funding was intended to provide local assemblies with the resources required to undertake development projects, improve public services and respond more effectively to the needs of communities.
Mr. Ayariga further announced that the government is committed to ensuring that not less than 88% of DACF resources are disbursed directly to MMDAs.
He said the approach is consistent with the principle of “Funds Follow Functions”, under which local authorities should receive adequate financial resources to perform the responsibilities assigned to them.
According to the Minister, greater financial flows to the district level are essential to deepening decentralisation and strengthening the capacity of local authorities to drive development.
The latest GH¢9.1 billion DACF transfer represents a significant increase in funding to local assemblies. Mr Ayariga said more than GH¢5 billion was disbursed to MMDAs in 2025 alone, compared with GH¢390 million in 2024. He described the 2025 figure as more than 12 times the amount disbursed in the previous year.
The District Assemblies Common Fund is a key source of funding for Ghana’s decentralised local government system. The resources are intended to support development activities and enable assemblies to perform their statutory functions.
Mr Ayariga said the increased DACF funding had contributed to projects in areas including healthcare, education, water and sanitation.
He disclosed that 397 of 566 targeted CHPS compounds, 502 of 761 classroom blocks, 3,081 of 4,029 mechanised boreholes and 97 of 134 small-town water systems had been completed under the projects being supported.
The Minister also said that about GH¢840 million had been transferred to MMDAs this year under the District Assemblies Performance Assessment Tool (D-PAT) programme.
The programme provides additional funding to assemblies that meet specified performance criteria, with all 261 MMDAs assessed under the relevant framework.
Mr Ayariga said the government’s broader objective was to ensure that local authorities had the financial capacity to deliver development at the grassroots.
He maintained that transferring more resources directly to MMDAs would help strengthen local economies, accelerate infrastructure development and improve living conditions.