The Centre for Local Governance Advocacy (CLGA), with support from the European Union, has called for strict sanctions against Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) that fail to comply with Ghana’s Public Financial Management (PFM) laws.

The group warns that non-compliance undermines service delivery and erodes public trust.

The demand was made during two town hall meetings, in Tamale on August 5 at the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly Hall, and in Kintampo on August 7, 2025 which brought together over 200 participants, including assembly members, civil society leaders, media representatives, and district officials.

The meetings focused on the findings of the 2024 Public Financial Management Compliance League Table (PFMCLT).

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Presenting the results, CLGA Programmes Manager, Herbert Apaloo, described the PFMCLT as a “citizens’ monitoring tool” that assesses MMDAs on their compliance with planning, budgeting, procurement and contracting, accounting and reporting, as well as internal and external auditing requirements.

“Some assemblies have shown commendable progress but many still fall short of the legal standards required to safeguard the public purse. Without consequences for breaches, we risk normalising financial indiscipline at the local level,” Apaloo said.

Participants at both meetings unanimously called for punitive measures to deter non-compliance, alongside stronger citizen oversight, greater transparency in financial reporting, and regular public engagement.

One participant in Tamale noted, “When MMDAs know there are no consequences, they will continue to misuse resources. Sanctions must be enforced, not just threatened.”

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The town hall meetings form part of a nationwide campaign to disseminate the 2024 PFMCLT findings, empower citizens with actionable information, and encourage active monitoring of how local funds are utilised.

By the close of both engagements, one message stood out: protecting public resources is a shared responsibility between local authorities and the communities they serve.

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