By Ewoenam Kpodo
Tokor (VR), Mar 07, GNA – The people of Ketu South have been urged to honour their tax obligations to generate domestic revenue to undertake development programmes amid aid cuts to the country.
The United States’ government had announced the suspension of its primary international aid agency, USAID’s funding programme, creating an estimated $156 million funding shortfall to Ghana with particular concern being a potential $78.2 million deficit, which could adversely impact critical interventions like malaria prevention, maternal and child health, nutrition and the fight against HIV and AIDS.
Addressing an audience Thursday at the forecourt of the Municipal Assembly to commemorate Ghana’s 68th Independence Anniversary, Mr Gilbert E. Avemegah, Municipal Coordinating Director, Ketu South said for some time, inflow of foreign aid and grants to Ghana had reduced significantly, requiring the need to generate domestic revenue and urged residents of the border municipality to play their part.
“Recently, the American government has withdrawn all financial support for USAID programme. This has created some financial gap for the programme as a country and its associated implications. It means we must double our efforts to generate domestic revenue.
I therefore wish to urge all inhabitants of Ketu South Municipality to honour their tax obligations promptly. This is the only way we can get enough revenue to undertake development programmes in the municipality.”
Mr Avemegah described the theme for the celebration, “Reflect, Review and Reset” as apt saying, the situation in the country required critical thinking, and evaluating performances since attaining independence in 1957, and a holistic mind change in attitude, behaviour, perseverance, commitment, and some level of sacrifice.
He called for rekindling of communal spirit among communities in participating especially in general clean up exercises because sanitation management was the responsibility of everyone which must be seen as an everyday activity to make the environment a safe place to live in for healthy growth.
Mr Avemegah also encouraged stakeholders in education particularly parents to play their roles to arrest the gradual decline in performance at both basic and second cycle levels in the municipality, and indiscipline and moral decadence, which he said were becoming the norm.
He asked the citizenry not to take the prevailing peace in the country for granted as “Ghana, to a large extent is peaceful not by coincidence but by the grace of God and the collective efforts of all of us.”
Mr Avemgah concluded by emphasising the need for teamwork saying, coming together, working together, and keeping together were key in making and ensuring progress which “I believe in all sincerity and humility can be the foundation for the reset agenda and building the Ghana we all want.”
The event in the municipality, uniquely marked in accordance with the directive from the office of the President to scale down the 2025 celebration, had a ceremonial parade featuring the cadet corps from the Three Town Senior High School.
There was also a cultural display showcasing Ghana’s rich cultural heritage and poetry recitals reflecting on Ghanaian culture and the nation’s journey to independence performed by Kopeyia Basic School and Kekeli School Complex.
The celebration attended by traditional leaders, assembly members, and personnel from the security agencies, also awarded a citation and an undisclosed amount of money to one best performing student each at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for the 2023 year.
GNA