From Sebastian R. Freiku
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) is to consider the construction of an ultra-modern office complex to house the assembly, its sub-committees and departments.
The Mayor of Kumasi, Osei Assibey Antwi, delivering his first Sessional Address as the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, at the Second Ordinary Meeting of the Second Session of the 7th Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, last Thursday, said records show that since 2012, steps had been taken by the KMA to have Messrs Hai Hong ETS Limited to construct an Ultra-Modern Office Complex in the sum of US$33.3 million, relying substantially on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) funding.
He has, therefore, urged the House to dispassionately discuss the options open to the Assembly, regarding the ideal site for the project, and a Public-Private Partnership implementation strategy.
According to him, it is long overdue for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly to have a befitting office complex, and urged the members to settle on the way forward for the commencement of this project.
Osei Assibey Antwi noted that he did not intend to introduce any programmes that are different from what his predecessors have pursued in the past, because the Assembly’s core business has not changed.
“The only thing that I am bringing, and which is new, is the spirit and passion with which we are going to drive the new development agenda for the Kumasi Metropolis,” he said.
“To be successful in the execution of the KMA Development Agenda, we need to forge a stronger partnership with the Central Government, the Kumasi Traditional Council, the private sector, civil society and well-meaning individuals who have the growth and development of the
metropolis at heart,” he said.
He said, to ensure its success, this new partnership shall be guided by the principles of Collective efforts to mobilise resources, mutual accountability for delivery of services and programmes, and effective communication and mutual respect among stakeholders.
He reminded the members of the House of their core mandate and duty to “improve the quality of life of the people in the Metropolis, through the provision of essential services, and creation of an enabling environment to ensure the total and sustainable development of Kumasi.”
The Mayor also announced that the Assembly would introduce a campaign dubbed the “Clean City Project”, which shall be run on a competitive basis among the electoral areas, where the best performing ones shall be rewarded with the construction of social amenities, including public
toilets, and granting of special quotas to selected Town Council members for the Sister City Exchange programmes among others.
Assibey Antwi also called on the House to, by resolution, expunge the “Kayayei levy” from the KMA’s 2017 Fee-fixing Resolution, following the abolition of a number of taxes, including a “Kayayei levy”, in line with the government’s desire not to overburden the people with taxes.
On waste management, the Mayor said some communities will be selected for the piloting of solid waste sorting at the household level, which research has proven to be cheaper at that level.
He said, there will be the need to consider alternative sources of its management, by tapping into the potential of using solid waste to generate power for the energy and agricultural sectors, since the space for the dumping of solid waste is exhaustive.
The KMA boss hinted that research and development will be carried out to develop useful products during the medium term, to establish potential sectors for utilisation, particularly, in the energy and agricultural sectors.
Osei Assibey Antwi said apart from the Local Governance Act and the various statutory policies, there are several administrative blueprints, policies and plans at the Assembly, which have either outlived their relevance, or need to be revised to reflect the new government’s policy initiatives.
He mentioned that some of such policies that would be subject to internal reviews include information systems management (data collection and processing), guidelines for revenue generation (IGF), new approaches for tax administration, mechanisms for managing waste and sanitation, and enforcement of /compliance to bye-laws and strategic plans.
Meanwhile, the Mayor has sounded a word of caution to some of the Assembly’s field staff, whose duties bring them in direct contact with the general public, notably, the Metro Guards, Revenue Collectors, Environmental Health Officers, Development Control Officers, among
others, who have, in one way or the other, contributed to giving KMA a negative image, to beware that the Assembly would deal drastically with any staff who misconducts him/herself. “All negative tendencies must be eschewed. We all have to turn a new leaf.”
The post Kumasi City Hall Project In The Offing …Under New Kumasi Development Agenda appeared first on The Chronicle - Ghana News.
From Sebastian R. Freiku The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) is to consider the construction of an ultra-modern office complex to house the assembly, its sub-committees and departments. The Mayor of Kumasi, Osei Assibey Antwi, delivering his first Sessional Address as the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, at the Second Ordinary Meeting […]
The post Kumasi City Hall Project In The Offing …Under New Kumasi Development Agenda appeared first on The Chronicle - Ghana News.
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