A-G Report Indicts 9 B/A Assemblies Over 'Missing' Funds

The Auditor-General (A-G), has cited nine assemblies in the Brong-Ahafo Region that spent over GH¢500,000 of the District Assemblies' Common Fund (DACF) on goods and services but cannot provide receipts.

The 2017 Auditor-General's report has blamed the irregularity on poor supervision by the finance officers and has demanded that the district coordinating directors and finance officers at the assemblies refund the missing funds.

Meanwhile, Parliament's Public Accounts Committee yesterday began probing the allegations of misappropriation of the DACF as contained in the 2017 Auditor-General's report.

The DACF is a pool of resources created under Article 252 of the 1992 Constitution which is a minimum of 5 per cent of the national revenue set aside to be shared among all district assemblies with a formula approved by Parliament.

The fund is a development fund which enables the use of the nation's wealth throughout Ghana for the benefit of the citizenry.

According to the report, the nine assemblies spent over GH¢500,000 on goods and services but failed to substantiate the payments with receipts, invoices and programme reports.

Asunafo South District Assembly, for instance, spent GH¢213,615 on tyres, building materials, food items and sanitation services, Jaman South District Assembly used GH¢19,943 of the fund to support students while Nkoranza South Municipal Assembly expended GH¢45,400 on agricultural inputs and support to students.

Dormaa East District Assembly also spent GH¢16,160 of the fund on funeral donations and community meetings, Dormaa West used GH¢17,660 on reshaping of roads and Tano North District Assembly spent GH¢16,696 on building materials, works on streetlights and educational support.

The Sunyani West District Assembly spent GH¢56,285 of the fund on food items, allowances, reshaping and installation of metres and also used GH¢73,650 on building materials, musical instruments and fees.

Tain, Banda and Wenchi municipal assemblies were also cited however, Wenchi Municipal Assembly spent GH¢43,558 of the fund on administrative expenses.

The Auditor-General blamed poor supervision on the part of the respective finance officers to ensure relevant documents were obtained before payments were made and recommended the finance officers refund the amounts accordingly.

Presiding Member of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Abraham Boadi descended on parliamentarians for allegedly misapplying DACF for election campaigns instead of on development projects and suggested state investigative institutions and the media put a spotlight on the issue. -myjoyonline.com Former A-G

General is not needed.

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