The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of deliberately withholding statutory payments owed to key national institutions and district assemblies, despite enjoying what it describes as “overwhelming goodwill” from the Ghanaian public.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Thursday (May 22), the Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh alleged that the government had failed to disburse a single cedi of the GH?7.1 billion allocated to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), as required by the Local Governance Act, Act 936.

“Not a dime has been paid,” he declared, stressing that the delay is in clear breach of the law and is starving the assemblies of the “oxygen they need to function.”

Mr Annoh-Dompreh said the failure to honour these statutory obligations is undermining institutions such as the National Health Insurance Authority, the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund)—which he said is owed GH?4.1 billion—and Parliament itself, which is yet to receive second quarter payments.

The Minority expressed scepticism over a recent assurance by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson that payments would commence in June. “If the government does not have the funds, it should communicate to Ghanaians and not attempt to take undue advantage of the goodwill given them,” Mr Annoh-Dompreh stated.

He further suggested that the delay in payments might be a strategy to create the impression that the government’s financial books are in good shape. “As I speak, contractors and other legitimate payments are not being made and it could be one of the reasons why the cedi is performing well against the United States dollar,” he alleged.

The Minority warned that if the finance minister fails to act by Tuesday, when Parliament reconvenes, they will escalate the matter. “It is strange that the government has been collecting taxes over the last six months, yet has failed to build the financial muscles of the assemblies to bring development to the local people,” Mr Annoh-Dompreh said.

He painted a grim picture of inaction at the Common Fund Secretariat, describing the administrator as “just idling around because nothing was happening.” According to him, “The ruling government is doing all the evil things under its first year just because of the goodwill it is enjoying.”

At the passage of the last budget, Dr Forson had pledged to pay 80 per cent of releases directly to the assemblies, bypassing MPs. However, the Minority claims no such payments have been made so far.

“This is a slap in the face of the people of Ghana,” Mr Annoh-Dompreh concluded.