By J. K Nabary, GNA
Awutu Bereku (C/R), May 10, GNA-The Awutu-Senya West District Assembly by the ending of March 2026, has collected an amount of GH¢758,861.65 representing 27.27 percent of the of the projected GH¢ 2,782,425.39 internally generated fund (IGF) for the year 2026.
Mr Nyamekye Kalala Eghan, the District Chief Executive, noted that land and concessions remained the strongest performer, contributing GH¢ 287,233.85 (72.68% of its specific budget), while fines exceeded expectations with GH¢11,176.80 representing 178.8 percent, as against a budget of GH¢ 6,250.
He said: “We may be doing well with the revenue mobilised so far, but I can tell you frankly, we are not doing our optimum best hence the need for us to vigorously continue sensitising our community members on the need to honour their tax obligation to augment other external funds for development.”
According to the DCE, every first quarter was usually difficult because bills were then to be prepared and shared during that period, adding that this year’s performance was however, a consolidation of the efforts from the end of last year.
“We recorded lower than expected returns in rates, representing 7.87 percent and licenses accrued 10.35 percent which necessitates a more aggressive revenue mobilisation strategy in the coming quarters,” he said.
On external funding, Mr Eghan said the Assembly received GH¢3,574,259.41 in actual transfers by Government of Ghana (GOG) against a budget of GH¢8,357,113.47, while the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) budgeted GH¢33,698,000.31.
However, the last tranche of the year 2025 in the sum of 5,137,234.13 was received in April, making a total of 16,765,973.13, which was unprecedented in the history of the District, Mr Eghan observed, and added that the government needed to be commended for that.
On expenditure, he stated that a total actual expenditure for the quarter stood at GH¢ 5,848,143.13, which includes GH¢3,401,094.31 for compensation and GH¢1,470,313 for non-financial assets.
On agriculture and rural development, he indicated that since agriculture was the backbone of the local economy, their vision was to transform it from a mere way of life into a viable business enterprise.
He stated that since health of the citizenry was paramount, the District Health Directorate (DHD) had been active in expanding service delivery across the district, handing over a Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Unit to Papaase Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound to support maternal and child health.
The directorate also donated an ultra-modern bed, infantometer, glucometer, weighing scale, HB machine and a BP apparatus to the Akrampa CHPS compound.
The District Health Directorate through its stakeholders also successfully, launched a four-year district strategic plan to improve on health care delivery, he stated.
Mr Eghan recalled an incident of an indigene of Awutu Akrampa who died in front of the Bereku Police Station after visiting the Bereku Health Centre and said a committee would soon be put in place to investigate the matter and discipline any health staff who may have shirked their responsibilities.
On education, he announced that a total of 4,374 candidates across the whole district wrote the examination in 13 centres in the district, saying their investment in the next generation continued through the provision of modern educational facilities.
According to him, the attacks on students from Obrachire Senior High Technical School by students of SWESBU in Agona Swedru during an inter-school’s competition, had been addressed.
He prayed that the situation would never occur again during sports.
He informed the house that the Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya West Madam Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui, distributed 4,374 mathematical sets to all the 2026 BECE candidates in the district.
Madam Tetteh-Agbotui, who is also the Deputy Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, in partnership with the District Assembly, held a training workshop to equip teachers with 21st-century technology skills and strategies to incorporate AI into teaching pedagogies to climax the 2025 Teachers’ Prize.
On LEAP validation exercise which commenced on Wednesday, February 11 and ended on Friday, March 6, 2026, Mr Eghan disclosed that 1,506 LEAP and non-LEAP households were reassessed and validated in 89 communities by the reassessment team.
He informed the house that under the livelihood Empowerment and Productive Inclusion Programme, the District had been selected among 10 Municipal/ District Assemblies to benefit from a new programme linked to LEAP that seeks to reduce the risk of pregnancy and early marriages targeting out of school adolescent girls aged between 16 and 21 years.
“I anticipate that the difference of the year will see an improvement in fund releases to facilitate the smooth implementation of our planned programmes, hence let us continue to work together as staff, assembly members, traditional leaders and citizens to build the Awutu Senya we all desire,” he added.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey/Benjamin Mensah