Kwahu West MCE urges residents to patronize population census

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Kwahu West, Mr Yaw Owusu Addo has urged residents of the municipality to partake thoroughly in the housing and population census schedule for next year to boost developmental projects in the municipality.

The MCE lamented that though the current population has been pegged at 120,000 it does not reflect the true picture of the municipality, and has affected some development projects from government and other donors over the years.

In his address at a Town Hall Meeting held at the Nkawkaw Lorry Park, Mr Addo appealed to members of the municipality to sound the alarm to other natives living outside the municipality to get counted as residents in Kwahu West in the census.

He recounted that the assembly lost an amount ranging from US$ 5,000,000.00 to US$ 2 million years ago on the basis of not meeting the population requirement from the World Bank to be given to some municipalities for developmental projects.

Impact of COVID-19 on revenue
The MCE expressed mixed feelings in revenue generated by the Assembly as targets set were not achieved due to the ravaging effects of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that distorted economic activities from March this year.

Mr Addo established that the municipality obtained an Internally Generated Fund (IGF) of “GH¢ 1,167,513.53, against a proposed annual budget of GH¢ 1,926,446.57 making a 60.60 percentage. The Assembly received GH¢ 745,739.45 out of a budgeted GH¢ 4,128,718.00 representing 18.06 percent as District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), whereas it received GH¢ 254,092.00 out of GH¢ 360,000.00 as MP’s Common Fund representing 70.58 percent among others”.

1D1F
Mr Addo also exuded excitement at government’s establishment of three factories under the “One District, One Factory” initiative in the municipality that were in various advanced stages.

He explained that Shaba Company Limited that has been in the production of gas cookers and stoves, basins, nails among others had commenced minor operation, whereas Kwahu Roots and Fruits Processing Company Limited and Appah Farms that would be in the production of ginger drinks, ginger powder, cassava and yam powder, and poultry processing respectively were in advanced stages with the installation of equipment.

He urged farmers to go into the cultivation of ginger and poultry farming as their demands as raw products for the respective factories would be high when production commenced.

Election
The MCE lauded the Traditional Authorities for their role in ensuring that the just ended general election was violence-free in the municipality. He urged the youth to remain resolute and refrain from being used to create chaotic scenery as observed in other parts of the country in recent weeks.