By Hafsa Obeng/ Peace Doe Agbotui
Accra, Feb. 13, GNA – The Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly (KOKMA) in 2023 failed to meet its revenue mobilisation targets.
The failure has been attributed to the Assembly’s inability to collect expected property rate tax.
It managed to mobilise GH₵13,387,584.65 representing -4.35 per cent in 2021 compared to GH¢13,997,60 1 .44 in 2022.
In 2019, it mobilised GH₵ 5,337,382.54 compared to GH₵ 9,520,590.88 in 2020, which represented 78.37 growth.
Nii Adjei Tawiah, Municipal Chief Executive, KOKMA, in a speech delivered at the inaugural ceremony of the third Assembly, said “in 2023 due to the new strategy for the mobilisation of the property rate by the central government, the Internally Generated Fund (1GF) growth rate declined to the lowest level of -4.35 percent.”
He added that fortunately, the property rate collection had been reverted to the Assembly, hence the need to adopt workable strategies towards achieving set targets.
“The Assembly has set an ambitious revenue target for 2024 and per the structures and systems being put in place, we will achieve the target for the transformation of the city.”
The MCE said the Assembly since it was carved from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly in 2019 had achieved a lot through the collective effort of all Assembly members.
“We have undertaken ambitious projects (some of which are on- going), including construction of 3-Storey Office Complex for the Osu Zonal Council (70%) complete, construction of 3-Storey Office Complex for the Adabraka Zonal Council (65%) complete, construction of 3-Storey 72 No. lockable stores at Tema Station (90%) complete, construction of 2 No. 2-Storey Library and Computer Lab at Accra High School and Osu completed, continuation on the construction of the Millenium city school 3-Storey, 18 Unit Classroom Block at Liberty Cluster of Schools is near completion.”
He added that the Assembly in collaboration with Ghana Tourism Authority was also redeveloping the Nationalism Park and the Geese Park to promote tourism in the Municipality.
Nii Tawiah said the major challenges of the Assembly had been sanitation and indiscriminate selling on pavements and on the roads, hence the Assembly recently procured three “Borla Taxis” and sanitation equipment to address the sanitation service delivery gap, adding that steps were being taken to address the issue of indiscriminate selling on the streets to make the roads clean and motorable.
He congratulated the in-coming elected Assembly Members and unit committee members as well as government appointees on their inauguration and encouraged them to emulate the cooperation and support the second Assembly offered to management to develop the Assembly together.
Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, a Former Chief Justice and Council of State Member, swearing in the Assembly Members, urged them to articulate the needs of the people to guide the district development agenda and ultimately, improve the quality of livelihoods and wellbeing.
She said as Assembly Members, they had the mandate to deliberate, plan, mobilise resources, make decisions, including by-laws to ensure the transformation of their Districts.
She said the swearing-in was another important milestone towards deepening decentralisation as stipulated in Article 35 Clause 6(d) of the 1992 Constitution, saying “as we constitute the membership of the District Assembly, it is envisaged that new ideas and opportunities would emerge to deepen the deliberative, legislative and executive functions of the District Assembly.”
The former Chief Justice sworn in 16 Assembly members, including five appointees, and reminded them on the need to be selfless, devoted to duty, and accountable.
GNA