The District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) is financing the construction of infrastructure projects in some metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) in the Ashanti, Greater Accra and Eastern regions.

The projects involve the construction of new physical structures (mainly administration blocks and staff bungalows), as well as single court edifices.

The fund is expending a total of GH¢94.7 million on 30 administration blocks, GH¢13.6 million on senior staff bungalows for the assemblies as well as GH¢15.9 million on 11 court buildings.

Out of the 30 administration blocks, which come in the form of two-storey structures for district assemblies and three-storey for municipal assemblies, the Ashanti Region will have 14 projects, the Eastern Region, seven, and the Greater Accra Region, nine.

Beneficiary

The assemblies benefiting from the administration blocks in the Ashanti Region are the Suame Municipal Assembly, Ahafo Ano South East District, Atwima Mponua District, Old Tafo Municipality, Asokwa Municipality, Juaben Municipality and Amansie South District.

The rest are Obuasi East District, Adansi Asokwa District, Adansi Akrofuom District, Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and Oforikrom District.

In the Eastern Region, the assemblies that are enjoying similar projects are the Abuakwa North Municipality, New Juaben South Municipality, New Juaben North Municipality, Fanteakwa District, Akim Manso District, Okere District and the Atiwa East District.

Court buildings

The court edifices, which are to provide conducive spaces for staff of the Judicial Services as well as bring justice closer to the doorstep of the people, are located in the Kwadaso Municipality, Juaben Municipality, Suame Municipality, Sekyere South District, Asante Akim South Municipality, Adansi Asokwa District, Afigya Kwabre District, Atwima Nwabiagya North District and Atwima Kwanwoma District, all in the Ashanti Region.

Staff bungalows

For the staff bungalows, the projects are taking place in the Kwadaso Municipality, Adansi Asokwa District, Suame Municipality, Afigya Kwabre District, Amansie West District, Ejisu Municipality, Ahafo North District, Atwima Nwabiagya Municipality, Juaben Municipality, all in the Ashanti Region.

Those ongoing in the Eastern Region are located in the New Juaben North Municipality, and Akuapem South Municipality, while those for the Greater Accra Region are located in the Ablekuma South Municipality and Ayawaso East Municipality.

Inspection

These came to light when a seven-member Local Government Committee of Parliament inspected the progress of work on ongoing DACF-funded projects in the Ashanti Region last Friday.

The inspection by the team, led by the Ranking Member on the committee, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, was to allow the members to know at first hand progress of the projects as well as the challenges facing contractors.

Commencement of project

Leading the team round some of the projects in the Ashanti Region, the Project Manager of Eco-Planners and Engineering Consult, Mr Daniel Yeboah, said work on the new administration blocks for the assemblies started in November 2019 and were projected to be completed within seven months of commencement.

“We have so far completed seven of these projects, while the remaining are between 70 per cent and 90 per cent complete on the average and they will be completed by the end of this year,” he said.

For the court structures, he said the percentage of completion on the projects, most of which had been roofed, was about 65 per cent.

With regard to the court complex which started in December and would be completed by August this year, he said most of the structures had been roofed, with most of them beyond 65 per cent complete.

“Work on the staff bungalows are far ahead and I can say that on the average the progress of work on these projects is about 70 per cent complete,” he said.