Gov't Establishes Disaster Fund

The Minister of the Interior, Ambrose Dery, announced in Parliament that a National Disaster Management Fund to deal with management of disasters in the country had been established since 2017.

He said the establishment of the fund was in line with the new National Disaster Management Act, 2016 (Act 927).

He made the announcement in an answer to a question by the ranking member of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament and National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa North, James Agalga, who wanted to find out when such a fund would be established.

The minister explained that monies that would accrue in the fund would come from appropriations by Parliament; three per cent of the share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to each district subject to a formula approved by the House in accordance with Article 252 of the Constitution, advances from the Contingency Fund referred to in Article 177 of the Constitution, funds from investments by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), grants and donations and other voluntary contributions from individuals or corporate institutions.

According to the minister, a governing council has been constituted to manage the fund adding that already the council has approved the opening of an account in accordance with section 41(2) of the Act 927 with the then UNIBANK, now Consolidated Bank of Ghana (CBG), to receive monies coming into the fund.

The minister, however, could not disclose the exact amount that the fund had so far accrued except to say that the three per cent of the Common Fund earmarked for the fund had been deposited.

Meanwhile the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, has asked Parliament to haul the Minister of Works and Housing, Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources and Minister of Roads and Highways before it to explain measures they are putting in place to prevent flooding.

—Daily Guide