Assembly members receive monthly allowances as government increases chiefs’ stipends
Assembly members across Ghana have begun receiving monthly allowances for the first time, while stipends for paramount chiefs and queen mothers have also been increased after several years without review.
The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, announced the development at the Government Accountability Series press briefing in Accra on April 20, 2026.
He said each of the country’s 9,090 assembly members is receiving GH¢1,300 per month before tax, with net payments amounting to just over GH¢1,000. The payments cover the period from April to December 2025, while disbursements for the first quarter of 2026 are currently being processed.
Mr Ibrahim noted that this marks the first time assembly members have received a structured monthly allowance since Ghana’s decentralisation system was introduced in 1988.
He also announced that stipends for paramount chiefs and queen mothers have been increased from GH¢1,000 to GH¢3,000 per month, following several years without adjustment. In addition, allowances for judicial committees of the houses of chiefs have been raised from GH¢30,000 to GH¢50,000.
According to him, the measures are intended to strengthen the functioning of the local governance and traditional authority systems.
The Minister further disclosed that all four quarters of the District Assemblies Common Fund were released to metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies in 2025. He said about GH¢4.96 billion was paid directly to 261 assemblies, bringing total disbursements to GH¢6.3 billion for the year.
He compared this with GH¢17 billion released over the previous eight years, describing the current level of disbursement as an improvement. The figures were provided by the Minister and have not been independently verified.
Mr Ibrahim also said a recent performance assessment of assemblies showed that 143 out of 261 did not meet the pass mark, while 118 passed.
The assessment, conducted with support from Germany’s KfW Development Bank and Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, set the pass mark at 36 out of 100.
He explained that the evaluation covered the 2024 performance year and largely reflected the work of assemblies under the previous administration.
Assemblies that passed are receiving between GH¢7.5 million and GH¢11 million each in additional funding, while those that did not meet the threshold are being supported to address identified gaps. A total of GH¢1.2 billion has been allocated for this intervention.
Mr Ibrahim added that ongoing projects across the country include 494 CHPS compounds, 761 classroom blocks and about 4,029 boreholes at various stages of completion, alongside 2,755 inherited projects from previous administrations.
He further stated that under the World Bank-funded Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme, $192 million had been disbursed as of February 2026, with $50.2 million remaining. The programme has been extended to December 31, 2026.
