Find innovative ways to generate revenue — Nii Afotey Agbo
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, has urged the Ga-West Municipal Assembly to find innovative ways of generating revenue for the development of the municipality.
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According to him, there are lots of revenue generating options such as property rates and developmental permits that the assembly could rely on to get the much needed revenue without it having to depend solely on the District Assembly Common Fund.
"Do not depend on the common fund only but devise other means by which you can generate additional finances for the development of the community," he said.
Nii Afotey Agbo gave the advise to staff members of the assembly when he visited the municipality last Wednesday.
He added that if the assembly relied solely on the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), any delays in its disbursement would affect implementation of projects in the municipality.
The regional minister’s visit was to assess the progress the assembly had made so far in the municipality with regard to development projects.
Delay of DACF
Nii Afotey Agbo said if the assembly was creative enough and came up with innovative ways of generating revenue, its plans and programmes for the municipality would not suffer unduly just because the release of the common fund had delayed.
He observed that many structures and buildings in the municipality were situated on fire hydrants and, therefore, tasked the assembly to cooperate with the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and take an audit of fire hydrants in the community and also ensure that they were accessible.
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He further charged the GNFS in the Ga West Municipality to work hard and make sure the area was free from fire outbreaks.
Development projects
During the visit, Nii Afotey Agbo also inaugurated the first phase of a two-storey, 12-unit classroom block for the Amasaman Municipal Assembly Primary School.
The completion of the new school building will lead to decongestion of existing classrooms to enhance teaching and learning.
He also inspected four other ongoing projects which are expected to be completed by March this year.
The projects include construction works on an emergency unit for the Ga-West Municipal Hospital, which comprises an office for the hospital’s administration, a male and female ward and an accident ward.
Another project the regional minister inspected was construction works on the first phase of the Ofankor Hospital. The facility has rooms for the hospital’s administration, out patients department, obstetrics and gynaecology unit, an operating theatre and a mortuary.
He also inspected construction works on the Amasaman Market and a bus terminal for the area.
Nii Afotey-Agbo said he was impressed with the extent of work the assembly had undertaken and commended it for the good work done.
Challenges
The Municipal Chief Executive of the Ga-West Municipal Assembly, Mr Sam Atukwei-Quaye, said acquiring land for the various projects was a challenge the assembly faced.
He has, therefore, urged chiefs and families to whom lands in the municipality belonged to release some for development projects.