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Allowance for Assembly Members will guarantee a fair allocation of monthly stipend – Local Governance Expert
The recent budget unveiled by Ghana’s Finance Minister disclosed an allocation of Gh¢100 million for the payment of allowances to Assembly Members, as pledged by President Mahama during the 2024 campaign period.
This decision has been met with widespread approval among assembly members, who have expressed their gratitude to the President for fulfilling his promise.
In an interview on GIFTs FM Morning Show, Dr. Richard Fiadomor, President of the Chamber of Local Governance (Chalog), remarked that this initiative would ensure equitable and fair distribution of monthly allowances to assembly members, regardless of whether the assembly is situated in urban or rural areas.
He raised concerns about the disparity in allowances, noting that assembly members in urban areas receive higher sitting allowances due to the larger size of their Internally Generated Funds (IGF), while their rural counterparts receive minimal compensation. This decision, he asserted, will significantly enhance the functioning of assembly members and strengthen their approach to addressing issues in their electoral areas.
When queried regarding the competitiveness of the forthcoming assembly elections due to the disbursement of monthly allowances to assembly members, Dr. Richard Fiadomor remarked that there are approximately 7,200 assembly members nationwide. This implies that each assembly member might receive a sum not less than one thousand cedis and not exceed one thousand three hundred cedis. Consequently, this amount is unlikely to sway the outcomes of future assembly elections.
He underscored that assembly members perform their duties selflessly and that President Mahama’s decision serves merely to promote fairness in the distribution of monthly stipends, rather than to render assembly elections competitive or subject to political influence.
Story By: Kwaku Mensah Abrampa (GIFTs FM-Dormaa Ahenkro)