MMDAs expected to complete street naming in 18 months

President John Dramani Mahama has directed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to ensure that the national street naming and property addressing exercise were completed in their localities within 18 months.

Alhaji Baba Jamal, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), who announced the instruction, reminded the assemblies that eight months of the deadline had already elapsed, and all assemblies were mandated to comply with the order.

He was speaking at an orientation workshop on street naming and property addressing exercise in Sunyani on Thursday.

It was organised by the MLGRD and attended by Chief Executives of MMDAs, Coordinating Directors, Budget Analysts, Engineers and Town and Country Planning Officers from the 27 Municipal and District Assemblies in the Brong Ahafo Region.

Alhaji Jamal said that the Ministry would soon provide the assemblies with logistics and finances to enable them complete the exercise as scheduled.

He noted that because of the poor and improper address system in the country, the MMDAs could not generate the needed revenue for development.

Alhaji Jamal asked the assemblies to ensure that roads were constructed, and structures erected at unauthorized places should be demolished.

He said that the Town and Country Planning Department had designed a uniformed system for the exercise, adding that Ghana as a middle income country needed an accurate and reliable street naming and property addressing system.

Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, asked Chief Executives of MMDAs to ensure strict monitoring and supervision of the exercise.

He noted that if the exercise was properly carried out, it would pave the way for the assemblies to increase revenue mobilization because they would be able to easily identify tax payers.

Mr Aidoo was optimistic that all the necessary tools and logistics needed for the exercise would be provided as soon as possible.