Jasikan assembly holds meeting

Jasikan (V/R), Feb. 9, GNA - The government is spending more than 28.9 billion cedis on development projects in the Jasikan district, Mr Solomon Kwame Donkor, the District Chief Executive (DCE) announced at the weekend.

Mr Donkor who was addressing the sixth meeting of the fourth term of the District Assembly, urged people in the district to honour their tax obligations to enable the assembly generate more funds to undertake more projects to improve their living standards.

He said projects being undertaken by the government included the rehabilitation and tarring of roads estimated at 12.2 billion cedis and the upgrading of Bueman Secondary School with an amount of 16.7 billion cedis.

Mr Donkor said he was not happy about revenue mobilisation in the district, adding that out of the targeted revenue of 529.9 million cedis, only 395.8 million cedis was collected last year. He therefore, called on assembly members, chiefs and opinion leaders to help beef-up the revenue in the district to accelerate development.

Mr Donkor said the assembly was considering the upgrading of some markets in the district to increase its revenue collection adding that the Tapa-Abotoase market would be given a major facelift soon to meet its expected revenue base.

He also expressed dissatisfaction about the poor sanitary conditions in the district and appealed to traditional rulers and assembly members to help address the problem.

Mr Donkor announced that the district would go into large-scale cassava and oil palm cultivation, under the President's Special Initiative (PSI) and that the government would soon release the needed inputs for the project to commence.

He said the assembly would also undertake cocoa cultivation, and that 'Ayoma' and 'Baika' have been chosen as nursery centres for piloting a hi-tech cocoa popularly called 'akokroa bedi' which starts bearing fruit after 18 months.

The DCE tasked assembly members to prevail on the electorate to register in their numbers when the voters' register is opened to enable them to exercise their franchise in the forthcoming elections.

Mr Ignatius Mintah, Presiding Member of the assembly, urged assembly members to ensure peaceful electioneering campaign.

"Let the people know that their political opponents are not their enemies, prevail on followers of political parties to learn to tolerate each others' views, they must abhor abusive language in their campaign", he said.