By Elizabeth Larkwor Baah, GNA
Gbetsile, Feb. 26, GNA – The Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Assembly (KKMA) has held a town hall meeting at Bestial to present an account of its development achievements, discuss the key challenges facing the municipality, and outline its strategic plans for the future.
The forum, held at the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Gbetsile, formed part of efforts to deepen local governance and promote transparency in line with Ghana’s decentralisation framework.
Officials of the assembly presented updates on projects undertaken across education, health, infrastructure, sanitation, security and local economic development.
Mr Samuel Tetteh Kwashie Morton, the Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), emphasised that regular meetings with residents were a constitutional responsibility and a vital tool for accountability, explaining that these engagements allowed the assembly to report on its activities and better understand the pressing needs of the people.
A major project outlined by the MCE was the construction of an ultra-modern 24-Hour Market at Gbetsile to stimulate local commerce and improve trading conditions.
He expressed gratitude to the traditional leaders for releasing land for the project, describing their support as crucial to local development.
On funding, he provided a breakdown of this year’s District Assemblies Common Fund allocation, out of which 25 per cent has been earmarked for the new market, while 10 per cent each has been allocated to education, sanitation, borehole drilling, and administrative expenses.
The MCE stated that five per cent has been set aside for legacy purposes, stressing that these allocations were intended to ensure transparency and equitable distribution of resources so that every community benefits.
Addressing sanitation, he revealed that task forces were actively enforcing environmental cleanliness regulations, adding that offenders who fail to keep their surroundings clean would face prosecution.
On water shortages, he mentioned that the assembly has engaged the Ghana Water Limited (GWL), which attributed the problem to low water pressure in distribution lines, stating that investigations were ongoing to detect possible leakages or diversions, and the company had been given until the end of March to provide feedback.
He said the GWL had established a local office in Kpone to improve responsiveness and help resolve the issue.
Participants at the meeting welcomed the updates but raised concerns about water shortages and traffic congestion while expressing frustration over delays in completing certain road projects and immediate responses from GWL.
In response, the MCE assured residents that the assembly would strengthen monitoring mechanisms to ensure water challenges become a thing of the past in the municipality.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo