Mahama raises disability fund allocation to 5%

President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled a set of far-reaching initiatives aimed at improving the welfare and inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). This includes an increase in the allocation from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) for disability support from three per cent to five per cent, effective 2026.

The announcement was made during the official launch of the Free Tertiary Education Programme for Persons with Disabilities in Accra. According to President Mahama, the increment represents a significant step toward ensuring that persons with disabilities have the resources and institutional backing required to live with dignity and pursue opportunities across all sectors of national life.

As part of the new measures, the President revealed that a Disability Desk will be established in every Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly (MMDA). Each desk, he explained, will work closely with local branches of the Ghana Federation of the Disabled to prepare an annual budget outlining how the increased five per cent allocation will be utilised to address specific needs within their jurisdictions.

“Next year, in the District Assemblies Common Fund formula, we intend to increase the allocation to persons with disability from three per cent to five per cent,” President Mahama stated. “And the disability desk in every District Assembly, in consultation with the local branch of the Ghana Federation of the Disabled, will prepare a budget each year for how they intend to spend the five per cent that has been allocated to them.”

Beyond financial allocations, President Mahama also assured that a minimum of five per cent employment quota for persons with disabilities in both the public and private sectors will be strictly enforced. He further noted that private institutions that comply with this employment quota will benefit from tax incentives as a form of encouragement.

The President also disclosed that his administration will introduce a new Persons with Disability Act, accompanied by a Legislative Instrument (L.I.), to update and strengthen Ghana’s existing disability laws. The revised legal framework will replace the current Act, passed in 2006, and bring it in line with modern realities and international best practices.

“We will introduce a Persons with Disability Act and a Legislative Instrument to modernise Ghana’s disability rights regime and ensure effective enforcement,” President Mahama affirmed.

According to him, the new legislation will not only reinforce the protection of disability rights but also integrate disability considerations into broader national development planning, ensuring that inclusion becomes a cornerstone of Ghana’s social and economic progress.