Correspondence from Eastern Region

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Upper Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region, Emmanuel Kwesi Lawer, has outlined a bold and development-focused agenda for 2025 during his first Assembly meeting since assuming office earlier this year.

The DCE emphasised the government's commitment to delivering on campaign promises through strategic investments in health, education, and infrastructure.

He was speaking during the first (1st) ordinary meeting of the second session (2nd) of the fifth (5th) Assembly on Thursday, 14th August, 2025, at the Assembly conference hall at Asesewa.

The meeting saw several notable personalities in attendance, including the Presiding Member, Michael Konotey Narh, Assembly Members for Upper Manya Krobo District Assembly, Nene Ofei Tagbaja, the Divisional Chief for Asesewa, Members of DISEC and Heads of the various Security Agencies, the District Coordinating Director, Nketia Donkor and Heads of department, unit and institution.

The assembly chief said, “The president has advised us on what to prioritise with the District Assemblies’ Common Fund, and we won’t leave out anything. He made certain promises to the people while we were in opposition, and he is determined to fulfil them now that we’re in government.”

Among the top projects scheduled for implementation this year are the construction of 15 mechanized boreholes to improve access to clean water; two new Junior High School (JHS) blocks and one kindergarten (KG) block and a primary school to address challenges in educational infrastructure gap; essential school furniture to support learning environments, and three health facilities aimed at enhancing local healthcare delivery.

The DCE further emphasised the importance of financial efficiency, stating that steps have been taken to curb revenue leakages and maximise the Assembly's Internally Generated Funds (IGF). These funds will be used to fuel the District Roads Improvement Project (DRIP), which focuses on road rehabilitation in the area.

In addition to infrastructure and social services, Kwesi Lawer identified sanitation as a key priority, noting that a cleaner environment is fundamental to the district’s overall development goals.

“Our mandate is to ensure that everything the president has directed to be done is executed efficiently. We are working to raise enough revenue internally to complement government support and bring real development to the people of Upper Manya,” he concluded.

Enhancement of IGF mobilization

He outlined key strategies being implemented by the Assembly to enhance internally generated funds (IGF) and improve social infrastructure, particularly in the health sector.

Speaking on revenue mobilisation and development efforts, the DCE emphasised that although the Assembly is constitutionally entitled to various sources of funding for development projects, current domestic revenue performance remains below expectations. He revealed that as of June 2025, the Assembly had mobilised GHC 360,889.80 out of an annual target of GHC 889,361.62, representing just 40% of the target.

“From the foregoing, we can see that our revenue performance is not encouraging. Hence, Management and Nene Ofei Tagbaja, our Traditional Chief for the Asesewa Divisional Area, are aggressively pursuing various strategies as outlined in the Revenue Improvement Action Plan (RIAP) to ensure that the Assembly meets its revenue targets for the 2025 fiscal year,” the DCE stated.

One of the primary strategies being implemented is the improvement of property rate collection. According to the DCE, a detailed road map for the collection of property rates has been submitted to the Traditional Chief, who is expected to support its implementation across communities.

The DCE also appealed to Assembly Members to take active roles in the campaign to boost IGF. “I urge Hon. Assembly Members to see revenue mobilisation as a collective duty and responsibility of all, as we all have a role to play. Let us continue to encourage our electorates and members of the general public to pay their rates to the Assembly to enable us to attain our revenue projections for the year,” he urged.

On statutory funding, he confirmed that the Assembly had received its share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) for the first quarter of 2025. This necessitated a review of the 2025 budget submitted to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning for approval. The funds, once approved, will be processed through the GIFMIS platform and used strictly in accordance with DACF Secretariat guidelines.

The DCE reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to transparent and efficient resource management, urging all stakeholders to collaborate in pushing the district’s development agenda forward.

In addition to revenue mobilisation, the DCE highlighted major developments in the health sector. He announced that the Upper Manya Krobo District Health Directorate, with support from the Assembly, has partnered with JOICFP, a Japanese NGO, to construct three (3) new CHPS compounds in the communities of Aframase, Akrusu, and Sutapong. The initiative is aimed at improving access to primary healthcare services in the district’s underserved areas.

“The support from JOICFP, facilitated by the Assembly and the Health Directorate, is a significant boost in addressing the healthcare needs of our people,” the DCE remarked.

The DCE's remarks signal a renewed focus on local development and accountability, setting the tone for what residents hope will be a transformative period for the district.