Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr Nii Moi Thompson, has raised concerns about disparities in the disbursement of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), warning that the current allocation system is worsening poverty and infrastructure inequalities across parts of Ghana.

Speaking on national development and infrastructure planning at the Ishmael Yamson & Associates Business Roundtable 2026, he said the Savannah Belt continues to suffer from persistent geographical poverty, partly due to inadequate infrastructure investment and uneven resource distribution.

Citing findings from the Ghana Statistical Service’s recent Multidimensional Poverty Report, he noted that the seven poorest regions in Ghana, Northern, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West, North East, Oti and Bono East, are all located within the Savannah Belt.

Together, the regions account for about 54 per cent of Ghana’s land area and 26 per cent of the population.

According to him, poor living conditions in these regions, including inadequate electricity, housing, sanitation and access to drinking water, reflect deep infrastructure challenges.

He argued that the situation is being aggravated by distortions in DACF allocations.

Although the seven poorest regions account for 25.85 per cent of Ghana’s population, he said they received only 24.93 per cent of DACF disbursements.

By contrast, the top seven recipient regions, which account for 69.5 per cent of the population, received more than 72 per cent of DACF allocations.

“Such disparities aggravate infrastructure deprivation, constrain economic growth and perpetuate poverty,” he warned.

The NDPC Chairman, however, commended DACF Administrator Michael Harry Yamson for his efforts to address the imbalances and improve fairness in the distribution system.

He stressed the need for more equitable infrastructure investment and targeted development policies to close regional inequality gaps and improve living standards in deprived communities.