Accra, Aug. 18, GNA - Accra Metropolitan Assembly Chief Executive Officer Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson on Monday appealed to ratepayers to pay their required rates and fees to enable the assembly to raise enough funds to support the development of Accra. "We have travelled past worthless criticisms. Of course, we need advice and guidance but importantly, we need settlement of bills due AMA to jumpstart the agenda towards our anticipated improvement of a beleaguered city," he said.
Speaking at a stakeholder's forum in Accra, Nii Adjiri Blankson said the assembly would be accountable, transparent in the management of generated revenues accrued from fees, rates, license and other municipal fees.
The forum, the first of its kind, was aimed at soliciting ideas from major stakeholders on how the AMA could mobilize more funds through its revenue collection.
The Chief Executive Officer has directed all sub-metro directors with effect from to today (Monday) to move from church to church to propagate the ideals of the AMA and its functions.
He said very soon, the AMA was going to enjoy the full assistance of an effective modern IT data-based machinery to curb infractions. Nii Adjiri said in every country, city authorities depended, to a large extent on property rates and business operating levies to provide all services that made their cities clean for visitors as well maintain schools and excellent road networks.
He said under the Local Government Act 462, the AMA was also to provide market and lorry parks and complement the ECG with some streetlights saying all these added responsibilities indicated that the AMA needed to mobilize more revenues to provide such facilities and services to the well-being of the people.
Explaining how the assembly utilised revenue, Nii Adjiri noted that 65 per cent of revenue was spent on sanitation. "As at June 30, this year, the assembly has spent GH 7.9 million cedis on sanitation and related services," the CEO said. Nii Adjiri Blankson expressed regrets over the spate at which litter bins mounted in the city were being stolen and sold as scrap adding the AMA was also being dragged to court for placing containers at some spots in the city.
He said despite spending an average of GH¢ 7.7 million a month for carting refuse, GH¢ 600,000 a month to maintain refuse sites and another GH¢ 240,000 on landfill sites, the assembly had not been able to succeed in keeping Accra clean.
He attributed this to the recalcitrant attitude of some residents and the indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
According to him, the AMA had reviewed measures in the activities of waste contractors who had now been asked to re-apply to be vetted. Nii Adjiri Blankson noted that the assembly had enormous responsibilities and challenges saying, "we are ready to accept the challenges. We are, however, confident that with the cooperation and support of our stakeholders we will overcome them." Mr I. T. Ajovu, Coordinating Director, AMA, said it was sad that people who generated the most waste were not paying for them. Mr. Ajovu emphasized the need for all to help tackle sanitation problems.
