Minority bares teeth at Finance Minister over unpaid statutory funds
The Minority in Parliament has accused Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson of violating Ghana’s financial laws by not releasing statutory funds five months into the year.
On Friday, May 23, 2025, the Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, said that despite the availability of funds, the Finance Minister is intentionally delaying the release of critical resources to government institutions.
He specifically cited the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) and the National Health Insurance Fund as some of the affected.
“The government stands in breach of Act 936 of the Local Governance Act, and the reasons are not far-fetched. The whole of this year, not even a penny has been paid in terms of common funds (DACF).
“If you look at the budget, you will find an explicit provision that was made. It is surprising that for almost six months, out of the allocation of 7.7 billion, not even a penny has gone to the Assembly,” he said.
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Mr Annoh-Dompreh demanded an immediate disbursement of the funds, highlighting the dire consequences of the delay on health care delivery and local governance.
“We are told that Dr Ato Forson has decided that he’s going to pay the Common Fund next month. The begging question is: has the government collected the taxes due? Yes, the taxes have been collected,” he added.
Meanwhile, he warned that the Minority will use every parliamentary tool at its disposal to force the Minister to release the statutory funds without further delay.