Regional News of Sunday, 15 December 2019
Source: Nii Ofori-Quaye
Honorable Nii Adjei Tawiah the Municipal Chief Executive for Korle Klottey Municipality Assembly (KoKMA) has hinted that the Municipality will witness far more and improved infrastructure developmental projects from 2020 when it takes total control over the financial resources generated under its jurisdiction.
This came to light when the Assembly held its maiden Town-hall meeting in the Municipality to present its developmental plan and the budget for the 2020 fiscal year to the stakeholders.
Addressing the gathering at the Osu Presby Church hall, Nii Adjei Tawiah noted that the Assembly had initiated an integrated Development Planning approach by tapping into the guidelines issued by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) to prepare the Four –Year Medium Term Plan (2018-2021) under the Agenda for Jobs: Creating Prosperity and Opportunity for All.
According to him, the Assembly went through painstaking deliberations with the stakeholders and other development partners to arrive at the key development priorities and projections for the Medium Term.
He disclosed that the Assembly had estimated an amount of Fourteen million, One Hundred and Twenty Thousand, Two Hundred Ghana Cedis (GHC 14,120,200.00) to be generated from the sources of funding towards the implementation of the Plan from the year 2020.
The revised amount is a complete departure from the paltry sum of Five Million Ghana Cedis budgeted for the 2019 fiscal year which was woefully inadequate to initiate new projects or undertake the numerous infrastructural deficits confronting the Municipality at the time of its inception in March this year.
On development projections for 2020, the MCE announced a projected increase of the Internally Generated Funds (IGF) by 25%, improved access to Environmental Sanitation by 50% and initiate other forms of Agricultural production such as mushroom farming and fish farming.
He also touched on 70% upgrade increase in social infrastructure in the areas of Education, Health and Sanitation. He also hinted on face-lift of the market infrastructure and road maintenance in the Municipality.
He reiterated the resolve of the Assembly to redesign markets in the Metropolis to make them more attractive to ward off hawkers from the streets and the pedestrian walk paths.
The MCE signalled that the Assembly will redouble its efforts in mobilising more revenue through tolls, levies, property rates and fines imposed especially on matters of sanitation offence.
He said the Assembly will also encourage On Street Parking for motorists to pay a daily fee for parking adding that people will have the option to buy a yearly ticket for the On Street Parking Project in the commercial enclaves of the Municipality.
On the vexed issue of the allocation of burial space to non-residents and strangers at the Osu Cemetery, the MCE explained that it was a source of concern because it is the only cemetery available in Osu.
He said the concerns raised would require all the stakeholders like the churches and the traditional authorities to make an input as to the way forward.
According to him, the Assembly alone did not have the power to take decision on the cemetery but it would require broad consultation to solicit views across the board.
Participants at the Town Hall Meeting express joy and commend KoKMA for organising such meeting in order to seek broad consultation on developmental issues within the municipality.