New Juaben Assembly to relocate beads market

Koforidua, Dec 19, GNA- The New Juaben Municipal Assembly has contracted a Chinese Company to redesign the pavilions at the Centre for National Culture (CNC) in Koforidua for the relocation of the Beads Market from the Jackson's park.

Subsequently, the works committee of the assembly had been tasked to look into the initial clearance and quantifying of the project cost to enable the assembly to factor it into the budget. Mr. Alex Asamoah, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), who disclosed this at an ordinary meeting of the assembly, also indicated that the assembly in boosting the economic activities of the area was putting up a building complex to be used as offices and stores for business. According to the MCE, apart from supporting the beads market to thrive, the relocation would also pave the way for the development of the periphery of the Jackson's park into a car park.

In addition, he mentioned that the area which had become a popular hideout for criminals in the municipality known as 'pintoa wala' had been earmarked for redevelopment into an ultra modern bus terminal and also to make way for the construction of an access road to the Reproductive and Child Health Centre (RCH) clinic.

He said although a task force set up in October to collect all outstanding revenues owed the assembly had spent its time adding, the work assigned was not fully completed so a skeleton team had been put in place to deal with containers and kiosks.

Mr. Asamoah mentioned that on the whole, the team realized GHC 84, 619 as at November 30, including the collection of rates, land, fees and fines, licenses, rent and investments.

According to the MCE, by the close of November, a total of GHC 809, 620, representing 64 percent had been collected as an Internal Generated Fund (IGF) as against a projection of GHC 1, 263,989 leaving a deficit of GHC 454, 368 to be collected.

He said the assembly also received a total of GHC 1,156,011 at the last quarter of 2008 and the first and second quarters of 2009 district assembly common fund (DACF) and an amount of GHC 709,901 under the Social Investment Fund (SIF) for payment of contractors executing its projects.