In the course of the Zone Four public hearing of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Takoradi, Western Region, it was revealed that nine assemblies have collectively spent over 4 million Ghana cedis on workshops, fuel, honorarium, and related expenses.
This information was gleaned from the 2022 Auditor-General’s Report, which highlighted an excess expenditure of GHC 2,706,135.00 attributed to these assemblies.
Further elucidating in the report, the Auditor-General pointed out that according to Part 1 of the 2019 Guidelines for utilization of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), up to 10 percent of the allocations to the assemblies should be designated for administrative expenditure.
The report specified that the nine assemblies received a total Common Fund allocation of GHc 20,977,699.78, allowing for 10 percent, which amounts to GHc 2,097,769.98, for administrative expenses.
In response to this, the Auditor-General recommended that the management of the nine assemblies refund the excess expenditure of Ghc 2,706,134.55 from their Internal Generated Fund (IGF) accounts into the DACF accounts and refrain from contravening the guidelines.
Subsequently, James Klutse-Avedzi, the Chairman of the Committee, remarked that the Committee will strongly advocate in its final report to Parliament for the rejection of all expenditures exceeding the required 10 percent for administrative purposes on the GIFMIS platform.
He believes this measure will address the issue of over-utilization of the Common Fund for administrative expenses within the assemblies.