The government is tightening protocols to ensure that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) regularly engage Members of Parliament (MPs) on planning, budgeting and development oversight.

Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, the Minster for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, who announced the move cited Section 1(c) of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936) as the tool to serve as a guide.

Responding to a question on the Floor of Parliament, in Accra, on Thursday, the Sector Minister reminded the House that Act 936 mandated every District Assembly to include “the Member or Members of Parliament for the constituencies that fall within the area of authority of the District Assembly.”

“Mr. Speaker, this statutory arrangement creates a formal mechanism for collaboration between MPs and MMDCEs in planning, budgeting and development oversight at the local level,” he said.

Professor Kingsley Nyarko, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Kwadaso, asked the Minister how the Ministry intended to promote a productive working relationship between MPs and MMDCEs to ensure effective governance in the various local assemblies.

As a result, the Minister, also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Banda, referenced Article 252(1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution, which establishes the District Assemblies Common Fund (DCAF) and required Parliament to allocate “not less than five per cent of the total revenues of Ghana” to MMDAs annually.

He explained that in practice, the DCAF’s distribution was guided by three criteria: the needs of each Assembly, equality to ensure fair allocation of national resources, and service pressure, which considered demand on facilities, particularly in urban areas.

“These criteria ensure that resources are directed where they are most required, with inputs from the respective MPs during general assembly meetings,” he noted.

Mr Ibrahim added that under Section 126 of Act 936, the ministry was also also enhancing financial allocations through DCAF to strengthen development planning, project execution and service delivery at the local level.

“Mr. Speaker, MPs also receive a constituency allocation drawn from a percentage of DCAF, commonly referred to as the MPs Common Fund. “The fund supports small-scale development needs such as assistance to vulnerable persons, farm inputs, and community facilities including boreholes and water systems,” he told Parliament.

To prevent duplication and ensure alignment, the Minister said the MMDCEs must meet regularly with their MPs to discuss pressing local needs and align interventions with the assembly’s medium-term development plans and funding sources.

“The ministry is accordingly working to ensure that such engagements are held consistently, as they form a vital platform for strengthening the working relationship between MMDCEs and MPs and for improving coordination of development efforts at the local level,” the Minister stated.

He told the House that the Ministry was strengthening protocols requiring MMDCEs to notify and brief MPs on key planning, budgeting, and development committee meetings so constituency priorities were reflected in medium-term development plans and local projects are jointly monitored.

He added: “It is also facilitating joint engagements on strategic initiatives. A recent example cited was the national orientation session on the 24-Hour Economy Model Markets for regional ministers and MMDCEs, which provided guidance on implementation, stakeholder coordination and financing.

“As the roll-out continues, MMDAs are encouraged to brief and involve MPs in local consultations and collaborate with them to support these interventions.”