Eight per cent of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) is to be released directly to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) for their development activities, Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), Ahmed Ibrahim, has announced.
This according to the minister, followed cabinet approval and would help boost economic growth and development in line with the overarching agenda of the President, John Dramani Mahama.
Mr Ibrahim disclosed this at the 3rd edition of the Ghana Business Summit 2025 in Accra yesterday.
The summit organised by Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana aimed at highlighting the importance of relying less on importation of commodities that could be produced locally and strengthen Ghana’s trade and industrial sectors.
It was also to promote agribusiness and drive economic transformation of Ghana.
Themed: “Promoting regional industrialisation and business integration in Ghana”, the event brought together about 400 influential public and private sector chief executives, captain of industries, business leaders development partners, member of the diplomatic corps, policy makers and entrepreneurs from across the country.
The summit unveiled top Ghanaian brands and entrepreneurs drawn from the local manufacturing and services sectors who have shown strong commitment to the Made-in-Ghana agenda with reputable businesses in key industries.
The Minister underscored the government’s vision to empower local governments and decentralise opportunities to ensure every Ghanaian found decent jobs and contribute meaningfully to the economy.
In addition to this he said the government had outlined six strong initiatives that would propel the economic growth of the country.
These initiatives he said included the “Feed Ghana” programme, which had been designed to promote food sovereignty and reduce dependence on imports, the “Nkukor Nkitinkiti Integrating Poultry Initiative,” which would invest in regional poultry clusters and processing plants.
“The initiatives are part of the government’s efforts to translate its 24-hour economy vision into action and create a conducive environment for businesses to thrive,” the Minister added.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chambers of Telecommunications, Mr Kenneth Ashigbey, underscored the need to drive agro-industrialisation through technology, describing it as key to unlocking Ghana’s economic potential.
He said agriculture remained the backbone of the nation’s economy, however, its potential was yet to be realised.
He noted that, agric-techs held the promise to transform farming through innovations such as drones, precision agriculture, and data analytics and supply chain digitalisation.
“These technologies must be developed with Ghana’s context in mind. The design and innovation must be locally driven,” he said.
Mr Ashigbey also said agri-tech could revolutionise farming by increasing yields, reducing waste, and linking farmers directly to markets.
He said government efforts were already aligning technology with national development goals and called for agri-tech to be made a central pillar of indusrialisation.
Mr Ashigbey stressed the importance of digital transformation beyond agriculture, noting that sectors such as health tech and education must be part of the national digital agenda.
“Our youth must be equipped for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, adding that coding, artificial intelligence and mathematical understanding are critical for the future,” he added.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
