Sekondi, Dec. 22, GNA – The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has secured a three- million-euro grant from the European Union (EU) under its Local Authorities Partnership for Sustainable Cities Project to strengthen governance structure and social inclusiveness.
Dubbed: “Twin cities in sustainable partnership”, the project would also improve resilience and greening of the Metropolis.
The EU would fund 95 per cent of the total eligible cost of the projects, while the STMA would fund the remaining five per cent.
Mr Abdul-Mumin Issah, the Metropolitan Chief Executive of the STMA, made this known during the second session of the eight Assembly and said various activities had been earmarked for its implementation.
He urged the Assembly to revise its budget to include the five per cent counterpart funding, which would be paid over a three-year period in equal installments.
Mr Issah commended the efforts of the staff who worked assiduously to secure the partnership and implored them to continue to solicit and identify more avenues to generate revenues for development.
Giving an overview of the revenue and expenditure performance for the year 2021, the MCE said the Assembly collected GHS27,701,751.23 representing 76.98 per cent of the annual budgeted revenue of GHS35,983,085.99.
He said revenue mobilisation had been challenging in recent times and reminded the Assembly members of their critical role in helping to realise enough revenue for development.
He said the Assembly had received some payments of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) and assured that, the monies would be put to judicious use for the development of the Metropolis.
The MCE also gave a report on the implementation of GIZ’s Governance for Inclusive Development Programme and said departments and units of the Assembly had received tremendous support in capacity building, revenue mobilisation, public accountability and quality service delivery.
He said the Revenue management software, developed and implemented by the GIZ and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, would minimise human involvement in revenue collection and ultimately reduce leakages.
Touching on security, Mr Issah said the Assembly would offer the necessary support to the police to increase their visibility in the Metropolis during the festive season to ensure that residents had a peaceful and safe yuletide.
He expressed the Assembly’s resolve to prevent the growth of slums, which were often used for immoral activities including prostitution and drug peddling.