Strengthen urban management systems - Regional minister urges assemblies
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, has advised Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to strengthen their urban management systems and address the challenges they face.
She said that addressing challenges related to sanitation, waste management, flooding, traffic congestion, and environmental degradation would enable the assemblies to attract investment.
Ms Ocloo, who gave the advice, explained that those issues had direct implications for investor confidence, productivity and the overall determination of their municipalities.
Forum
She was speaking at the maiden Korle Klottey Municipal Business and Investment Forum held in Accra last Tuesday.
It was on the theme: “Positioning Korle-Klottey as the prime business and investment destination in Ghana”.
Attended by government officials, investors, policy makers, development partners and businesses in the municipality, the forum was aimed among other things at showcasing the economic and investment potential of the Korle-Klottey Municipality; provide a networking platform for local businesses, entrepreneurs and development partners and highlight priority sectors for investment particularly tourism, hospitality, real estate, green economy, market redevelopment and urban infrastructure.
Ms Ocloo said the recent flooding incidents across parts of the region underscored the importance of building resilient communities and maintaining critical infrastructure.
"Sustainable investment thrives in communities that are safe, well-planned, economically responsible and capable of adapting to emerging challenges.
As local authorities, we must remain committed to improving service delivery, enforcing planning and environmental regulations, enhancing infrastructure and creating conditions that support business growth and long-term investment," she said.
Investment
The Municipal Chief Executive of KoKMA, Alfred Allotey-Gaisie, said the municipality held a distinctive and strategic position with Ghana’s economic landscape, explaining that as the city’s commercial, financial and administrative hub, it was home to major financial institutions, diplomatic missions, hospitality facilities, vibrant markets, cultural assets and the country's most important Central Business District.
He said the municipality was also hosting the secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA), placing it at the centre of Africa's emerging economic transformation.
“Our vision is to build a world-class city with modern infrastructure, quality social services, a resilient environment, and an investor-friendly destination. To achieve this, we will continue to invest in infrastructure, improve service delivery, strengthen local economic development and create opportunities for productive partnerships with the private sector,” he said.
Human capacity
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for the Klottey Korle Constituency, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, urged the assembly to commit itself to building the human capacity that would sustain and maximise the benefits of that investment for generations to come as it sought to attract investment into the municipality.
“I believe that the true test of development is whether a young person can find meaningful employment, whether a trader can expand her business, whether a family can access quality healthcare and education, and whether communities feel that progress is happening with them and not around them,” she explained.
