The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has attributed improvements in local governance to the introduction of monthly allowances for Assembly Members across Ghana.
According to him, Assembly Members are performing more effectively following the implementation of the allowance policy, which provides each member with GHS1,300 per month through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.
Speaking during his thank-you tour of the Upper East Region, he explained that the initiative is part of broader efforts by the NDC government to strengthen governance at the grassroots level.
He said that the government is pursuing cost-saving measures at the national level, including reducing the number of ministers, to free up resources for local development.
“It is not just about salaries. It involves the cost of accommodation, fuel, security, and other logistics. When you reduce these, you can redirect resources to support Assembly Members,” he said.
Mr. Asiedu Nketia emphasised that governance is most impactful at the local level, where Assembly Members play a critical role in service delivery.
“The real workload is at the base, that is where we serve. So we decided to support Assembly Members with something small to help them do their work more effectively,” he added.
He described the allowance policy as an experimental initiative but noted that early results indicate improved performance among Assembly Members.
“If it succeeds, it can be expanded. But for now, we have seen that the assemblies are performing better,” he stated.
The policy forms part of ongoing efforts to enhance decentralisation and improve service delivery at the community level.
