PWDs schooled on revised guide for common fund disbursement

Persons living with Disabilities (PWDs) in the Ahafo Region have been sensitized on the revised version of their common fund disbursement and management guideline document.

As part of the capacity building and empowerment exercise by the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie held at Goaso, the 2022 evidence-based review report of the District Assembly Common Fund was disseminated to members of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organization (GFD).

It was to empower beneficiaries of the Common Fund to hold the district fund management accountable in terms of non-adherence to the new guidelines documents in implementation processes, mismanagement of the PWDs' common fund, delay in disbursement and political interference.

Non-adherence

Mrs Vivian Sarpomaa Fiscian, leadership and governance advisor with the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie, later told the media that there are reports of some MMDA officials not adhering to the content of the previous guidelines for the disability common fund management.

She indicated the ultimate goal of the fund is to reduce poverty and severe economic hardship among the PWDs, hence the nationwide sensitization by the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie for beneficiaries of the fund to be well informed about the new fund disbursement and management guidelines.

She said beneficiaries in nine regions have so far been given the capacity building and empowerment on the new guidelines documents and hope to cover all 16 regions of Ghana before the end of December 2022.

Mrs Sarpomaa Fiscian explained that the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie is funded by the support of UK Aid and primarily targets PWDs as well as persons with mental health conditions.

Mr. Matthew Anor Kudom, the president of the Ghana Federation of Persons with Disabilities, said the revision of the guidelines for management and disbursements of the PWDs' common fund was undertaken by the National Council on Persons with Disability and the GFD.

The new guidelines, he said, was jointly put together by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development, Office of the Head of Local Government Service, partners and the service users themselves through the GFD with technical assistance from the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie through the funding support of UK Aid.

Mr. Kudom stated the collective efforts were towards improving the socioeconomic lives of the PWDs and was optimistic the new guide would help get rid of ghost names in the registration list of PWDs.

He therefore pleaded with the Members of Parliament to fast-track approval of the new guidelines by the end of December this year for effective operations from January 2023.