Over Half of STMA's 2025 DACF Goes to Unapproved Projects, Says MP—Assembly Under Fire

A Member of Parliament has raised alarm over financial mismanagement at the Sekyere Tafo Municipal Assembly, claiming that over half of the district's 2025 District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) allocation has been deployed towards projects that lack proper approval. The MP's disclosure points to a significant breach of established procurement and project vetting guidelines that are meant to ensure public funds are spent transparently and in line with national priorities.

According to parliamentary guidelines, any project financed through an MP's Constituency Fund must conform to National Policy Frameworks and undergo the requisite approval processes. The revelation suggests these safeguards may not have been followed in the case of the Sekyere Tafo Municipal Assembly, raising questions about governance and oversight at the local government level.

The DACF and How It Should Work

The District Assembly Common Fund is a critical revenue stream for local government assemblies across Ghana, designed to support grassroots development projects. These funds are meant to be allocated transparently, with elected officials and assembly members working together to identify priority projects that benefit their communities.

The Guide for Selection of Projects establishes clear standards: initiatives must align with broader national development objectives and follow proper approval channels. This framework exists to prevent ad hoc spending and to ensure that public money reaches projects with genuine community benefit and technical feasibility.

What This Means for Accountability in Local Government

The allegation points to a broader challenge in Ghana's local government system—the tension between elected representatives and the administrative structures tasked with ensuring compliance. The MP's claim that the Assembly itself authorised these payments suggests either a breakdown in understanding of national guidelines at the assembly level, or a deliberate circumvention of checks and balances.

Key concerns include:

• Whether assembly members were fully briefed on national policy requirements before approving fund allocation
• The absence of robust internal audit or oversight mechanisms to flag non-compliant spending
• The risk of funds being diverted from high-impact development projects to lower-priority or politically motivated activities

If substantiated, such practices undermine public trust in local government and weaken the effectiveness of decentralisation efforts. Citizens expect their representatives to steward public resources responsibly, and any breach of that trust demands urgent investigation and corrective action.

Implications for Ghanaian Taxpayers and Communities

The impact of this situation extends beyond Sekyere Tafo. Across Ghana, communities rely on DACF disbursements to fund roads, schools, health clinics, and water systems. When funds are misallocated or spent on unapproved activities, those essential projects are starved of resources. This directly affects the quality of life in towns and villages that depend on assembly-led development.

The situation also raises questions about whether similar issues exist in other municipalities. If so, the cumulative effect could mean millions of cedis are being spent inefficiently or contrary to national development plans each year.

The Assembly is now under pressure to explain which activities received funding and on what basis approval was granted. A transparent audit of the 2025 DACF expenditure is essential, along with corrective measures to align all remaining allocations with national guidelines. Both the Assembly and Parliament have roles to play in ensuring accountability and preventing such breaches in future.