KOKMA to roll out infrastructural projects

The Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly (KOKMA) intends to roll out infrastructural projects in the municipality in the second half of the year.

The Chief Executive of the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly, Mr Samuel Nii Adjei Tawiah, said the assembly was liaising with the Lands Commission to identify parcels of lands that could be acquired to begin the infrastructural works.

He said the intended projects included the construction of an office facility for the assembly, zonal council offices and a municipal hospital.

“It is our hope that our engagement with the Lands Commission, the National Security and the Office of the Chief of Staff will yield some positive results,” he said.

At the assembly’s general meeting, Mr Tawiah noted that KOKMA also intended to renovate schools within the Osu enclave after successfully renovating three abandoned schools in the area to put them in use.

He explained that the effort was to promote teaching and learning and to improve the performances of the schools, adding that through a collaborative effort, the assembly had acquired a new parcel of land to start the construction of a fish market at Osu.

“I am particularly excited about this project because apart from the revenue to the assembly, it will also create more jobs for the teeming youth in the fishing industry,” he said.

Sanitation

Mr Tawiah said the municipality was relatively clean due to the effective implementation of the sanitation bye-laws and noted that the assembly was holding discussions with the Chief of Obuom in the Ga South Municipality to acquire a 50-acre plot for a waste disposal site.

Mr Tawiah said the Ministry of Roads and Highways, through the Department of Urban Roads, had awarded a contract for asphaltic overlay works on 27.3 kilometres (km) of road within the municipality, with 9.2km already laid.

The Chef Executive of KOKMA also noted that the decongestion exercises undertaken by the assembly in the municipality were to keep the areas clean and safe.

Mr Tawiah said the assembly, in the second quarter, realised GH¢6,632,604 out of the annual target of GH¢23,938,171.15, representing 27.71 per cent of the target.

Low revenue

He attributed the relatively low performance in revenue mobilisation to the delays in expected funds from the central government.

“I must add that state disbursement of funds for the fourth quarter of 2020, and the first and second quarters of 2021 have still not been released, and it is our hope that they will be released to improve our financial standing,” he appealed.

Mr Tawiah said a special team had been set up to follow up on corporate bills to shore-up revenue, while the Works Department had been given vehicles to be able to monitor and raise revenue from development permits.