Wa East District working to expand electricity and mobile network coverage

The Wa East District Assembly is working to extend electricity and telecommunication network to communities that still lack these requisite services.

In this regard, the Assembly has submitted a list of communities in the district without these services to the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to be forwarded to the Energy and Communication Ministries for action.

Mr Moses Jotie, the Wa East District Chief Executive (DCE), speaking at the second ordinary meeting of the Assembly, said that the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC) was equally working in some communities to improve telecommunications.

He said due to GIFEC’s effort, work on the erection of Kpalworgu, Chaggu and Loggu masts have been completed paving way for people to now have access to telecommunication network.

The DCE said work on the installation of telecom masts in seven identified communities was equally expected to start soon by GIFEC.

Mr Jotie said electricity and telecommunication are very critical to development, stressing that the absence of these services in several communities in the district is affecting development.

The DCE said together with Mr Godfred Tangu, the Member of Parliament (MP), they are doing the necessary lobbying to ensure districtwide electricity and telecommunication coverage to facilitate the speedy socio-economic development of the district.

Mr Jotie said it scored 98 per cent in the District Assembly Performance Assessment Tool (DPAT) and has been allocated the Responsive Factor Grant (RFG) which was being used to renovate deplorable staff bungalows in the district.

On finances, he said, the Assembly has received a combined amount of GH?2,006,537.30 as 2018 third and fourth quarter arrears and 2019 first quarter allocation of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF).

He acknowledged the hard work of the Finance and Administration sub-committee of the Assembly which aided the Assembly to collect over 95 per cent of its targeted Internally Generated Funds (IGF) for 2019 so far.

Mr Jotie expressed optimism that the Assembly would exceed its revenue target by close of 2019.