Common Fund: We have 'chopped' our monies already - Amansie South DCE says they've been paid already

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Amansie South District, Clement Opoku Gyamfi has refuted claims that the government hasn't released the District Assemblies Common Fund.

NDC Member of Parliament for Odododiodio and Ranking Member of Local Government, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye in an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show told Kwami Sefa Kayi that the "government is starving the Assemblies of the needed resources for development and the Government is stifling overall development of this country".

He further noted that "from 2018 to 2022 fourth quarter, there are outstanding totalling about Ghc6.2 billion".

" . . the majority are reluctant to let the world know because they are afraid, so we have to take the bull by the horn, we the minority has to tell Ghana and tell the government please pay us these arrears to the District Assemblies Common Fund," he added.

But the Amansie South DCE, speaking on "Kokrokoo", dissented to the claims.

He disclosed that the government hasn't defaulted in disbursing the common fund to the Assemblies.

Mr. Opoku Gyamfi explained that the common fund is paid quarterly and the government has satisfied the Assemblies.

He further presented documents to dispel all doubts and revealed that all the monies from the year 2020 till October 2022 have been paid into the District Assemblies Common Fund.

He also emphasized that his district, Amansie South, has already "chopped" the money that was disbursed into their Common Fund.

"We have even used the money already and we are waiting for the last quarter to arrive, so we can pay our contractors to commence work . . . I don't know if there is another money somewhere that needs to be paid to us and we haven't received it but if we are talking about the Common Fund from the Common Fund Secretariat, then they have paid all of it except the last quarter of 2022," he stated.