From Sebastian R. Freiku
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) would execute more development programmes and projects and infrastructural developments under the 2013 Annual Action Plan with various sources of funding.
Mr. Kojo Bonsu, Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), announced at the First Ordinary Meeting of the 3rd Session of the assembly last week, that the necessary measures had been put in place to ensure the smooth implementation of plans under the 2013 Annual Action Plan, which was prepared out of the Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) under the various sources of funds of the Assembly.
Under the District Development Fund (DDF), the KMA would implement19 projects, three of which have already been rolled out in 2012, and new projects under the DDF as nine educational facilities, two health facilities, one road project, three sanitation projects and one security project.
He said under the Urban Development Grant (UDG), 24 sub-projects were being implemented, which he mentioned as 13 education projects, six health projects, 32 mechanised boreholes with overhead tanks, two road projects, and five sanitation projects.
The MCE reported that out of the 24 projects, 18 were said to be at different levels of completion, and seven at the substructure level, while eight are at the superstructure level, with one duly completed, and two being the supply of communal skip containers and school furniture which are on-going.
Mr. Bonsu announced that a US$4,000,000 Capacity Support Fund (CSF) had been allocated to the KMA, under a the Local Government Capacity Support Project (LGCSP), for the engagement of consultants (service providers) to support the Assembly in any of the five Public Financial Management areas, specifically in Budget Reforms, Reporting and Auditing, Local Revenue Management, Asset Management, and Social Accountability.
According to the Mayor, the KMA was developing a proposal to source funding in the area of Asset Management, and that the Assembly would soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Regional Technical Advisory Team (RTAT) which is facilitating the implementation of the project in this zone.
The Mayor also mentioned that 29 sub-projects were rolled over from 2012 under Internally Generated Funds (IGF).
Mr. Bonsu bemoaned the decline in revenue collection over the last three years (2009-2012), and said something must be done about collections from the markets, shops, commercial licences, property rates, parking fees, pharmacy and chemical shops.
He was particularly not happy that the KMA’s outsourced revenue collection agencies take 70% while the KMA receive 30% of revenue generated, and gave the assurance of a review to ensure that the Assembly gets a better share from the revenue collected.
According to the Mayor, all 16 projects awarded five years ago and being implemented with funding from the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) were rolled over.
Meanwhile, the KMA intends to form and inaugurate a 7-member Street Address Team, with the Town & Country Planning Department as the head agency, to kick start the National Street Naming and Property Addressing Policy and Operational Guidelines. All metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) are expected to implement the policy within 18 months.
The primary purpose of the street naming and property addressing is to improve the response of emergency services to locations of need, delivery of municipal services, increase revenue generation, and facilitate the operation of businesses.
Eleven years after the KMA had adopted street-naming and house numbering project, ASI-ZIP Code Systems Limited, the consultant, had reported that the assignment was only 22% percent complete.