Low economic activities affect revenue generation in Ekumfi

The Central Regional Minister, Mrs. Ama Benyiwa Doe, has expressed regret at the poor revenue generation in the Ekumfi due to low economic activities in the district and said its performance was not encouraging.

She said the Assembly, which was inaugurated on June 28, had been able to generate only GH₵ 7,788.40 internally between August and November, 2012 and that this was inadequate to fund the Assembly’s projects and programmes.

The Regional Minister was speaking in her capacity as the Supervising District Chief Executive at the first meeting of the first Assembly of the Ekumfi District on Friday.

She said the Assembly had put in place some measures to improve upon revenue generation such as local economic development initiatives and that efforts were being made to revamp the Esuehyia market to a district standard.

Plans are also underway to establish a vegetable market at Eyisam, an open beach at Narkwa-Amissano and owners of small businesses in the district would be supported through training and capacity building programmes to improve their competencies for them to expand their businesses for job creation.

Mrs. Benyiwa Doe said the Assembly had received the first, second and third quarter tranches of its share of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund (DACF) for 2012 and that the Assembly had been allocated GH¢291,847.00 for District Development Facility (DDF) projects, comprising GH¢244,380.00 as investment fund and GH¢47,467.99 as capacity building fund.

It had received 40% of the investment fund being GH¢97,509.00 which will be used for the construction of a three-unit classroom block at Ekumfi-Nanabin and two-unit semi-detached teachers’ quarters at Essakyir.

She  said the Assembly had also taken delivery of 150 streetlight accessories including bulbs, chokes, igniters and photo cells from the Ministry of Energy and that they had been distributed and installed in all the electoral areas in the district.

Mr. Emmanuel Baisie, the District Coordinating Director, said the Central Regional Development Commission had acquired and paid for a land for the establishment of a pineapple factory at Eyisam.

He said projects currently being carried out by the Assembly with funding from the DACF include construction of a District Magistrate’s Bungalow at Essakyir, rehabilitation of a skills development centre at Essuehyia, reshaping of selected feeder roads and the construction of a police station at Essuehyia that has been completed.

Source: GNA