GA WEST MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY HOLDS ORDINARY MEETING TO ADDRESS KEY DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

The Ga West Municipal Assembly on Wednesday, 5th August 2026, held its Ordinary Meeting at the Municipal Assembly Hall, bringing together Honourable Assembly Members, Heads of Departments and Units, representatives of key institutions and other stakeholders to deliberate on key development issues affecting the municipality. The meeting served as a platform to review the Assembly's performance during the first half of the year, assess ongoing programmes and projects, address emerging challenges and adopt measures to improve service delivery.

The meeting commenced with the Presiding Member, Hon. Emmanuel M.K. Amuzu, welcoming members and encouraging them to actively participate in deliberations to ensure that decisions taken would contribute to the socio-economic development of the municipality.

The Municipal Coordinating Director, Mrs Louisa Benon, on behalf of the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. John Desmond Nii Sowah Nai, presented the Executive Committee (EXECO) Report for consideration by the General Assembly. The report provided an overview of the Assembly's revenue and expenditure performance as at the end of June 2026 and outlined key recommendations adopted by the Executive Committee for ratification.

According to the report, the Assembly mobilised GH¢25.52 million, representing 35 per cent of its annual revenue target of GH¢72.89 million. The performance was largely driven by Internally Generated Funds (IGF), which recorded GH¢7.53 million against a target of GH¢10.5 million, representing over 71 per cent of the annual IGF target. The report noted that grants amounted to GH¢17.48 million, representing 28.61 per cent of the annual grants target, largely due to delays in the release of grant allocations.

On expenditure, the Assembly spent GH¢23.84 million, representing 32.7 per cent of the approved annual budget. The expenditure covered compensation of employees, goods and services and capital expenditure, while spending under the Internally Generated Fund was largely directed towards compensation and goods and services during the period under review.

The Executive Committee further recommended measures aimed at strengthening governance and improving service delivery. These included capacity building for members of the Development Planning Sub-Committee, provision of logistics for the Transport Department to enhance enforcement activities, strict disciplinary action against illegal revenue collectors, support for community-led drain construction initiatives, timely payment of meeting allowances, intensified efforts to address illegal dumping of refuse through a coordinated multi-agency approach, rehabilitation of deteriorating roads in affected electoral areas, provision of office accommodation for the Department of Co-operatives, timely release of funds to the Department of Agriculture, prompt payment of commissions to revenue collectors and Zonal Councils, collaboration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) on the registration and licensing of commercial motorcycles, and improved allocation of vehicles to departments and units to support their operations.

A presentation was made by the Head of the Development Planning Department, Madam Cynthia Bonsah, on the mid-year review of the Assembly's 2026 Annual Action Plan. She explained that the Annual Action Plan serves as the municipality's operational document for implementing programmes, projects and activities outlined in the 2026–2029 Medium-Term Development Plan.

Madam Bonsah disclosed that the original Action Plan contained 257 activities, of which approximately 56 per cent had been implemented by the end of June 2026. In accordance with statutory requirements, the Assembly conducted a mandatory mid-year review to assess implementation progress, improve efficiency and revise targets based on prevailing realities.

She explained that the review process involved extensive departmental consultations, technical assessments by the Development Planning Unit, analysis of the Assembly's revenue and expenditure performance and consideration of various national performance assessments. Following the review, the number of planned activities was revised from 257 to 213, representing a reduction of 44 activities to reflect realistic priorities and available resources.

Providing a thematic breakdown, Madam Bonsah stated that activities under Environment, Infrastructure and Human Settlements were revised from 87 to 68, Emergency Planning and COVID-19 Response from six to five, Governance, Transparency and Accountability from 67 to 58, Social Development from 51 to 44, Economic Development from 35 to 27, while activities under Implementation, Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation remained at 11.

She further outlined key implementation challenges, including delays in the release of funds, late approval of commitment authorisation from the Ministry of Finance, inadequate logistics, poor internet connectivity and persistent boundary disputes. She appealed for strengthened resource mobilisation, timely release of funds and improved logistical support to enable the Assembly to effectively implement the revised Annual Action Plan.

The Municipal Budget Officer, Madam Mary Acquah, also presented the revised Composite Budget for 2026, explaining that the budget had been reviewed to align with the revised Annual Action Plan and the Assembly's performance during the first half of the year. She noted that the Assembly operates a balanced budget in which projected revenue is matched with planned expenditure.

Madam Acquah reported that the Assembly's Internally Generated Fund target had been revised from GH¢10 million to GH¢14.5 million following an impressive mid-year performance, with GH¢7.5 million already mobilised, representing about 75 per cent of the original annual target. She noted that this marked a significant improvement compared to previous years, where mid-year revenue performance ranged between 30 and 50 per cent.

She further explained that grants had been revised upward from approximately GH¢72.8 million to GH¢77.7 million due to increases in the District Assemblies Common Fund, the Member of Parliament's Common Fund allocation and Government of Ghana salary transfers. Consequently, the Assembly's revised total budget increased to GH¢77.7 million, with corresponding adjustments made to expenditure on compensation, goods and services and capital investment.

During an engagement with officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the District Manager of ECG, Mr Benjamin Hagan, responded to concerns raised by Assembly Members regarding persistent power outages, delays in electricity service connections, faulty meters, street lighting challenges and customer service delivery. The officials assured members that measures were being implemented to improve electricity supply and service delivery across the municipality.

The Assembly deliberated on social intervention programmes within the municipality. Members were informed that economic assistance had been extended to sixty-seven (67) beneficiaries, educational support had been provided to students, including beneficiaries at the University of Cape Coast and a special school, while medical assistance had also been provided through the donation of eyeglasses to a community member.

On transportation, members discussed the operations of commercial motorcycle riders (Okada) and the need to strengthen regulatory measures. It was disclosed that the District Director had formally written to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to facilitate stakeholder engagement on the registration and regulation of commercial motorcycles within the municipality.

The Assembly also considered accommodation challenges affecting the Social Welfare Department. Mrs Louisa Benon proposed the construction of a new office complex to accommodate both the Social Welfare and Agriculture Departments to enhance coordination and improve service delivery. She further assured members that Management would procure a new Public Address (P.A.) System to improve communication during Assembly meetings and official programmes.

Members also reviewed the progress of ongoing infrastructure projects, including road maintenance works using the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) machine, the renovation of public toilet facilities and the status of the municipality's broken-down ambulance. The Head of Ambulance Services explained that financial constraints had delayed repairs to the ambulance, while members stressed the urgency of restoring the vehicle to improve emergency healthcare delivery.

Responding to concerns over the municipality's boundary disputes with the Ga North Municipal Assembly, the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. John Desmond Nii Sowah Nai, explained that an earlier meeting between the two Assemblies had been postponed due to the transfer of the former Head of the Physical Planning Department, which affected the availability of technical officers and relevant mapping documents required for meaningful discussions.

He stated that although a subsequent meeting was held, the boundary issues extend beyond the two municipalities and reflect a nationwide challenge requiring coordinated intervention. He disclosed that the Assembly had petitioned the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to mediate the dispute while also engaging the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA), the Lands Commission and other relevant institutions to review technical maps and boundary indicators.

The MCE further indicated that traditional authorities, community leaders and other stakeholders would be engaged throughout the process to ensure a peaceful resolution. He expressed concern over recent confrontations arising from the dispute and stressed the need for dialogue and cooperation rather than conflict in resolving the matter.

The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment by Assembly Members and Management to work collaboratively in addressing the municipality's development challenges, improving service delivery and promoting sustainable socio-economic development for the people of Ga West.

SOURCE: DORCAS ASANTEWAA OSEI, ISD-GWMA.