Structure of Local Governance Under The Fourth Republic

Regional Coordinating Council

The Regional Coordinating Council consists of the Regional Minister as Chairman and his Deputy of Deputies, the presiding member of each Districts Assembly and the District Chief Executives of each district in the region, two chiefs from the Regional House of chiefs and the regional heads of the decentralized department in the region without voting right.  Regional Coordinating Councils are established for each of the Sixth regions of Ghana.

Metropolitan, Municipal And District Assemblies

The Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs currently 261) consist of the Chief Executive, the Member or Members of Parliament representing constituencies within the district, 70% of the members directly elected by universal adult suffrage, and 30% of the members appointed by the President in consultation with the chiefs and other interest groups in the district. In practice, the processes for the appointment of the 30% of the President's nominees are carried out by the Minister responsible for Local Government working with the Regional Ministers.

The District Chief Executive is nominated by the President, approved by two-thirds of the members of the District Assembly present and voting, and appointed by the President. The District Assembly has a Presiding Member who is elected from among the District Assembly members by two-thirds of all the members of the Assembly.

Metropolitan Assembly

The Metropolitan Assembly is established for districts with a population of 250,000 and over. From an initial three comprising Accra, Kumasi and the then Shama-Ahanta East (now Sekondi-Takoradi but without Shama), the number of Metropolitan Assemblies was increased to four in 2004 with the addition of Tamale, and thereafter to six in 2007, with the addition of Cape Coast and Tema.

Municipal Assembly

The Municipal Assemblies were established for single compact settlements' with populations of 95,000 and above and were consequently referred to as one-town Assemblies'. The population threshold was not changed when the total national population changed with the 2010 population census. From an initial four in 1988/89, Municipal Assemblies were increased to ten in 2004 and subsequently to forty-seven in 2007/2008. In 2012, eight more Municipal Assemblies were created bringing the total number to fifty-five. Most of these so-called Municipalities did not satisfy the criterion of single compact settlement to qualify for Municipality. There are currently 109 Municipal Assemblies in existence.

District Assembly

District Assemblies exist for geographically contiguous areas with populations of between 75,000 and 95,000. As in the case of the Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies, the population threshold was not changed when the total national population changed with the 2010 population census. There are currently 146 District Assemblies in existence.

Sub-Metropolitan District Councils

Sub-Metropolitan District Councils (SMDCs) are the level immediately below the Metropolitan Assemblies, which are the only category to have this extra level.  They are regulated by the Local Government (Sub-Metropolitan District Councils of Metropolitan Assemblies) (Establishment, Composition and Functions) Instrument. From an initial 13, there are now over 20 SMDCs in existence.

Urban Council

The Urban Council consists of not less than ten and not more than fifteen members, made up of not more than five persons elected from among the members of the relevant District Assembly and not more than ten representatives from the Unit Committees in the area of authority of the Urban Council.?

Zonal Council

The Zonal Council exists in the Municipal Assembly areas only. It is the equivalent of the It consists of not less than ten and not more than fifteen members made up of not more than five persons elected from among the members of the relevant Municipal Assembly and not more than five representatives from the Unit Committees

Environmental Development

The Environmental Developmental formerly known as  Town/ Area Councils consist of not less than ten and not more than fifteen members made up of not more than five persons elected from among the members of the relevant Assembly and not more than ten representatives from the Unit Committees.'

Unit Committee

The Unit Committee consists of not more than five persons ordinarily resident in the Unit directly elected universal adult suffrage.