The Amenfi West District Assembly is the highest political and administrative authority in the district. The Assembly is made up of forty seven (47) members of whom thirty two (32) are elected by universal adult suffrage and fifteen are appointed by the President in consultation with the traditional authorities and other interest groups in the district.

The Assembly is headed by the District Chief Executive; the two parliamentarians are ex-officio members. The Amenfi West District Assembly has an executive committee which exercises the executive and co-oordinating functions of the District Assembly. The executive committee also has sub committees. These are:

   1. Development Planning Sub-Committee
   2. Social Services Sub-Committee
   3. Works Sub-Committee
   4. Justice and Security Sub-Committee
   5. Finance and Administration Sub-Committee

The Amenfi West District Assembly sub-structure is made up of one (1) town council (Asankrangwa) and seven area councils (Breman, Juabo, Manso Amenfi, Adjakaa Manso,

Samreboi, Achichire and Agona Amenfi). This is supposed to deepen the decentralization process and thereby strengthen the participation of the people in the developmental process and governance of their communities. Although the Sub-structures have been inaugurated, they are however not functioning the way they should, due to lack of funds to recruit and pay staff and also to organize meetings.

Functions

The functions of the Amenfi West District Assembly is derived from the ACT that establishes Metropolitan/Municipal/District Assemblies in the country, i.e. Local government ACT 1993, Act 462 and L.I No. 1391 of 1988 that established the erstwhile Amenfi District Assembly. The functions are:

• The District Assembly is responsible for the overall development of the district and shall ensure the preparation and submission of development plans and budgets to the appropriate authorities.
• Formulate and execute plans, programmes and strategies for effective mobilization of resources necessary for development.
• Promote and support productive activity and social development.
• Initiate programmes for development of basic infrastructure and provide services in the district.
• Responsible for the development, improvement and management of human settlement and the environment in the district.
• Responsible for the maintenance of security and public safety.
• Initiate, sponsor or carry out such studies as may be necessary for the discharge of its functions.

NGOs and CBOs are partners in development. Some of the NGOs and CBOs in the district are weak and ineffective. They lack capacity in the area of developing proposals and human resource. These need to be strengthened.

Priorities under good governance and civic responsibility are as follows:

• The construction of offices for the Town/Area councils to make them operational and effective
• Completion of the district assembly hall complex
• Construction of residential accommodation for staff.  Prudent fiscal resource management through improved internal revenue mobilization and the reduction in ineligible expenditures
• Sensitization of the citizenry through public education on government economic policies and tax awareness promotion
• The enhancement of capacities of newly elected assembly members to enable them to contribute to local level decision making process
• Construction of residential accommodation for some security personnel
• Recruitment of more security personnel to beef up security in the district and enhance safety and peace building
• The enhancement of capacities of civil society organizations such as NGOs/CBOs/FBOs to make them effective and responsive to the needs of people in the district.