Gomoa East Assembly appeals for municipal status

The Gomoa East District Assembly in the Central Region with its capital at Potsin is seeking municipal status to benefit from the Ghana Secondary City Support Projects (GSCSP).

This, it District Chief Executive (DCE), Solomon Darko-Quarm asserted would enable the assembly to enhance service delivery to the communities.

Consequently, the assembly has written a letter to the President appealing for municipal status having satisfied the criteria required, Mr Darko-Quarm told the Ghanaian Times last Tuesday at Potsin.

He said the district ranked second in the Central Region in terms of revenue generation, after Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly.

He explained that the population of the district was estimated at 300,000 much higher than the 90,000 population requirement for municipal status.

Mr Darko-Quarm said the assembly was doing well in revenue mobilisation, saying that the district posted GH¢1.27 as revenue last year.

“This year we are seeking to double our revenue, we are targeting property rates as a major revenue stream,” he said.

Mr Darko- Darko-Quarm said gaining a municipal status “will relieve us of the huge infrastructure challenges” facing the area.

He said that six One District, One Factory, had been initiated for the district, of which two were ready to take off.

The GSCSP, is a 100 million World Bank facility accessed by the government, being awarded to high performing municipal assemblies to undertake major projects such as waste management, storm drain system, urban roads, street lights, pedestrian walkway, integrated urban market facility, transport terminals and disaster management.

The Gomoa East District Assembly was carved out of the Gomoa East District which originally used to be the Gomoa District in 1988, and inaugurated on March 15, 2018.

Created by Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2340, district has 30 settlements and occupies 539.69 square kilometres.

It is endowed with vast arable land suitable for crop, fruit vegetable and also blessed with wetlands, wildlife and the sea, making fishing a lucrative economic activity.

FROM SALIFU ABDUL-RAHAMAN, POTSIN