ASHMA records more NHIS clients

Ashaiman, May 22, GNA - The Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA) in 2010 registered 37,484 clients of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2010 as against 27,545 in 2009, thus qualifying the Assembly to run its own NHIS Secretariat.

Numo Adinortey Addison, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) who made this known at the first ordinary meeting of the first session of the second assembly of the ASHMA said the total revenue for last year stood at GH¢2,757,319.58 out of the budgeted revenue of GH¢4,400,548.97. The figure, he said, represented 62.66 per cent, while the Assembly's total internally generated fund for 2010 was GH¢890,254.76, representing 86.43 per cent of the budgeted revenue of GH¢1,030,000.00. The MCE said in an effort to boost revenue collection for this year, the Assembly undertook a property valuation exercise at the beginning of the year, to help charge realistic property rates. The last time ASHMA carried out property valuation was about a decade ago.

Numo Addison said the recruitment of 12 new revenue collectors; completion of revenue database; computerisation of the revenue data and strengthening of the zonal councils would help in revenue collection. On education, the MCE said the Assembly has secured decent office accommodation for the Municipal Education Office. He hinted that ASHMA intended to give awards to 16 deserving teachers during the Best Teacher Awards this year.

On the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), Numo Addison said it was regrettable that the general performance of candidates last year was not encouraging. He said the public schools secured 47 per cent over all performance. The Municipal Education Directorate, he said, has put in place measures to improve pupils' performances in this year's BECE.

The measures include the institution of the Straight Day System in all public junior high schools to increase the contact hours of pupils and improve teaching and learning. The MCE said there would be regular and a more effective system of supervision and monitoring of performance in schools within the Municipality.

Turning to waste management, Numo Addison pointed out that it was a major challenge facing the Assembly because most residents in the Municipality disposed their garbage into drains and open places, thereby creating unsightly conditions that resulted in choked gutters and flooding. For this reason, ASHMA, he announced, was in the process of franchising refuse collection in the Municipality. It was also seeking a suitable private partnership to start work on the construction of a shopping mall, and a traditional market at the Assembly's market site at Community 22. The MCE urged assembly members to mobilise their electorates to undertake communal work to clear the environment.