Sekondi-Ghana April 27, GNA – The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), last year targeted to mobilise GHC 44,776.117.57, but managed to mobilize GHC 42,971,737.52 revenue representing 95.97 percentage revenue.
A total of GHC14,973,412.84 was budgeted as Internally Generated Fund (IGF) but GHC14,006.227.17 actuals werre realized representing 93.54 percentage.
Mr Abdul Mumin-Issah the Metropolitan Chief Executive, who disclosed this at the first ordinary meeting of the fourth session of the eighth assembly of the STMA in Sekondi, commended the assembly members and staff for increasing their revenue.
He said the assembly budgeted an expenditure of GHC44,776.117.56 and had an actual expenditure GHC41,919,314.90 representing 93.61 percent, and called on all to strive even harder to mobilize sufficient funds for the execution of their development agenda.
The MCE on environmental health and sanitation, expressed worry that open defecation in the metropolis continued to persist, despite all the measures being taken by the assembly.
According to him, in the first quarter of 2023, 20 people were arrested and fined for open defecation and warned that owners of private property without toilets would also be prosecuted.
He however admitted that there were genuine challenges affecting some individuals making it impossible to own household toilets and that the assembly through the European Union project would construct 500 household toilets in the metropolis.
Mr Mumin-Issah said the old concept of ‘Tankas” which has now been modernized with an electronic approach by the assembly is an innovation to improve environmental health sanitation delivery via technology (E-Tankas App)
He noted that it was to reduce human interface in sanitation issues, adding that to ensure a successful roll out of the programme, a sensitization exercise was being conducted to inform the citizenry on the project.
He explained that after the sensitization exercise, a taskforce would be formed in the respective electoral areas and urged assembly members and the public to take advantage of the technology to lodge complaints on environmental nuisances.
On drain desilting, the MCE said the assembly had put out measures to reduce flooding during the rainy season and that 22 drains in the respective sub-metros were desilted.
He announced that a bridge was under construction for the Essman community to enable residents have access to their various houses and that ground preparation and pavement of Paa grant relocation site for traders to be moved from the Jubilee Park to Takoradi had also started.
On the Construction of the PTC interchange, the MCE said the project had been suspended due to the IMF programme the government was pursuing and that they were looking forward to the resumption of the project after the IMF negotiations were completed by the government.
He said construction of selected roads in the Sekondi-Takoradi undertaken by Viabuild Africa was currently 19.5 percent and that work was on- going on the Axim Road and Adiembra road, which are expected to be completed in June 2024.
On Agriculture, Mr Mumin-Issah said plans were on course for the department of agriculture to produce 5,476 coconut seedlings to be supplied to selected farmers from the assembly’s allocations of the District Assembly Common Fund, this he noted was to create jobs and generate income for farmers under the Planting for Exports and Rural Development (PERD) programme.
On the Ghana Jobs and Skills Project under the YOUSTART programme, the MCE said out of the 23,700 applicants selected nationwide for the first batch, 100 of them were from STMA.
He explained that the training of the selected beneficiaries was scheduled to start from 25th Aprill 2023 and that the applicants would be taken through basic training and then 30 percent of them would make it to the intermediate training, where successful applicants out of the 30 percent would be taken through advanced training with the possibility of receiving grants to start their businesses.
The MCE said the construction of an integrated Skills training centre under the auspices of the EU Twin-Cities in Sustainable partnership Project (TCSPP) had begun and would be completed in May this year.
On Tourism, He said plans were on course to develop the Butuah wetland and Monkey Hill into a nature park to preserve the unique natural biodiversity, boost local economy and forestall any future occurrence of disasters.
Mr Mumin -Issah said GHC154,590.00 was approved for 54 persons with disabilities and three disability groups who applied to be supported with the three percent common fund allocation.
Out of the total number, 29 were males and 25 females and amount of GHS 56,900.000 was approved to purchase items for 18 selected beneficiaries and 37 beneficiaries were supported with GHS 88,690.00 to support their education, medical bills, and businesses.
Mr John Kwesi Buckman the Presiding Member, tasked the members to improve the revenue mobilization mechanisms to enable the assembly to generate more IGF and advised those who intend to contest in the Local Government elections and return to the assembly in 2024 to continue to accelerate the lacing of their election boots and hit the ground running since election was a process.
