Mfantseman Assembly holds first ordinary meeting

Saltpond (C/R), Jan 13, GNA - The first ordinary meeting of the fourth session of the fourth Assembly of the Mfantseman District Assembly has held at Saltpond. Mr Robert Quainoo-Arthur, District Chief Executive (DCE), expressed concern about the inability of the Assembly to meet its revenue targets and said 645,988,921 cedis out the 1,187,892,000 cedis target was collected last year representing 54 per cent. The DCE said the Assembly had contracted a Consultant to assist in the collection of property rates and other fees and appealed to Members of the Assembly to assist the Revenue Collectors in the performance of their duties.

Mr Quainoo-Arthur enumerated a number of projects executed by the Assembly last year under the HIPC Fund, Social Investment Fund, European Union Micro Project, Community Based Rural Development Project and other interventions and proposed projects for this year.

He said the District Education Directorate received 418,650,000 cedis as the first instalment of 1,149,480,000 cedis of the capitation grant and disbursed 405,662,500 cedis to 285 public schools. The DCE said the Assembly spent 77,096,000 cedis to support needy students in the District last year, 25 million cedis for the sponsorship of teacher trainees and another 25 million cedis on the Science Technology and Mathematics Education Clinic.

Mr Quainoo-Arthur said 24,767 people had registered for the District Mutual Health Scheme, which took off in 28th December 2005. The Assembly presented awards to 10 dedicated people who distinguished themselves last year including Dr Abraham Mantey, Medical Superintendent of Saltpond District Hospital, Mrs Felicia Ansah-Amprofi, District Director of Agriculture and Mr Patrick Yeaboah, District Crime Officer. The Assembly passed the fee fixing resolution for 2006.