East Akim District Assembly increases revenue

The East Akim District Assembly collected a total revenue of 587,957 million cedis from its traditional source last year, this represents 90 percent increase over 309,976 million cedis collected in 2001.

The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Emmanuel Victor Asihene who said this at the first ordinary meeting of the assembly at Kibi on Friday, attributed the achievement to measures put in place to revamp its revenue collection.

He commended the assembly's collectors for the achievement and gave the assurance that at the appropriate time, they would be rewarded and appealed to them to keep up the spirit.

Mr Asihene appealed to the Assembly members to work as a team in order to create the necessary force to solve problems in the District.

He urged them to explore external sources such as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to enable the assembly access funds for projects.

The DCE said a number of projects funded through the Common Fund, special funds, HIPC and donor funds are being undertaken in various communities in the district to improve the lives of the people.

The projects include classroom blocks, underground holding tanks, markets, oil palm processing plants, boreholes and hand dug wells and libraries.

On roads, he said the Department of Feeder Roads would soon start work to improve the road network in the District.

Mr Asihene said the East Akim has been selected among six districts in the region under the National Hi-Tech Cocoa project on pilot basis.

The project, which is being undertaken by the Cocoa Research lnstitute of Ghana (CRIG) aims at increasing cocoa yields through the application of fertiliser.

On the District Response Initiative (DRI), Mr Asihene said seven Community Based Organisations (CBOs) had been selected and given funds to fight HIV/AIDS in the District.

Mr Asihene said, 100 million cedis has been disbursed to support 100 women entrepreneurs under the Emergency Social Relief Programme (ERSP), while another 37.5 million cedis from the Ministry of Women an Children's Affairs were disbursed to 75 women traders with each receiving 500,000 cedis.

He said all the 242 Unit Committees and 15 Town/Area Councils had been inaugurated and asked the members to work collectively with the District Assembly for the development of their areas of jurisdiction.

The Presiding Member of the assembly, Mr Kwesi Amoako-Atta expressed the hope that with the assembly's structures, the members would work effectively and co-ordinate their activities to enhance development of the district.

He commended the members for their co-operation, which had enabled the assembly to make the achievements.

Mr Amoako-Atta said he and the DCE would soon tour the various electoral areas to inspect development projects being undertaken and initiated and asked the assemblymen to intensify their developmental programmes.