By Justina Paaga
Sekondi, Oct. 20, GNA -The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has between January and August this year raised GHC9.345 million in Internally Generated funds.
The amount represented 62.8 per cent of a projected internally generated revenue of GHC14.874 million.
Mr Abdul Mumin Issah, Metropolitan Chief Executive, who made this known at the second ordinary meeting of the assembly in Sekondi, said the total budgeted revenue for the year was GHC34.564 million.
The MCE said the amount of GHC 23.797 million was realised as of August 2022, representing 68.8 per cent.
On expenditure, he said the total expenditure budgeted for the period was GHC34.564 million and that the Assembly spent GHC22.057 million, representing 63.8 per cent
Touching on development projects in the Metropolis, Mr Issah said more than 14 projects under the District Assemblies Common Fund, Districts Development Fund, GETFund and European Union were at various stages of completion.
The projects include the construction of a six-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities at Kansaworado, a community health planning and service compound at Kojokrom, teachers’ accommodation for Mberedane Basic school, construction of a six-seater WC with an overhead tank for Essikado STMA JHS and three mechanized boreholes for Ahanta Mampong, Ntaamakrom and Kwesikrom
Others are, a three-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities for Presby JHS in Sekondi, construction of a 40-footer container office with sorting out and changing room at the demonstration farm at Sekondi and the construction of a two-unit classroom blook with dinning hall, office, toilet /bath for the Poasi Methodist B KG at New Takoradi.
On the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty, he said, the assembly had provided financial support to 2,909 extremely poor individuals drawn from 499 communities within the Metropolis.
The MCE said from September 2021 to April 2022, the assembly had disbursed a total amount of 162,352.00 to the beneficiaries.
He said on the Ghana Employment and Social Protection programme, a total of 25 beneficiaries from various communities within STMA were trained in various trades, adding that 13 were trained in cosmetics and soap production, two in consumer electronics, two in leather works and one each in bio-digester, snail rearing, courier services, graphic design and solar.
Mr Issah said after the training the beneficiaries were given start-up equipment to begin their trade.
The MCE said though the Assembly had chalked several successes, it was overwhelmed with postings and transfers during the third quarter of the year.
According to him, a total of 14 staff made up of 10 males and four females were posted out of the assembly, eleven persons consisting of nine males and two females also retired from active service and two males passed on.
He, however, said eight new entrants comprising four males and four females in both the professional and sub-professional classes were posted to the assembly and lamented that conducive office accommodation for staff remained a major challenge.
GNA