Minority alleges constitutional breach in 2026 Budget presentation

The Minority in Parliament is raising strong concerns over what it believes is a clear constitutional violation in the presentation of the 2026 Budget.

The Ranking Member of the Local Government and Rural Development Committee, Francis Asenso Boakye, says the government acted outside the law by issuing Utilisation Guidelines for the District Assemblies Common Fund before Parliament approved the Fund’s Formula.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, he explained that the Local Governance Act requires the Ministry of Local Government to prepare such guidelines in consultation with the Ministry of Finance only after parliamentary approval.

He believes that the government’s decision to move ahead without this process undermines the legal protections that grant local assemblies control over their own development priorities.

The new guidelines approved by Cabinet include allocations for the twenty-four-hour economy, health facilities, educational facilities, potable water, school furniture and administration.

Asenso Boakye argues that these allocations, although presented as helpful, risk shifting power from local authorities to the central government.

He fears that assemblies will lose the freedom to decide what their communities need most.

He warned that allowing this approach to proceed could weaken the foundations of decentralisation and lead to inefficiency in the distribution of public resources.

For him, the issue is not only about procedure but about protecting the voice and autonomy of local people.

“Our duty is to ensure that the District Assemblies Common Fund truly serves the communities it was created for. We cannot allow the central government to take over decisions that belong to local assemblies,” Asenso Boakye said.

He appealed to Parliament to demand transparency and legal compliance as debate on the Budget continues.