The Ga West Municipal Assembly on Thursday, 29th October, held the 3rd Ordinary Meeting of the 3rd Session of the 9th General Assembly at the Municipal Assembly Hall to deliberate on development issues and concerns affecting the municipality. The meeting brought together the Presiding Member, Municipal Chief Executive, Coordinating Director, Honorable Assembly Members, Heads of Departments and representatives from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).

The meeting commenced with the Presiding Member, Hon. Emmanuel M.K. Amuzu, welcoming members and urging them to actively participate in discussions to ensure that decisions taken would benefit the communities they represent.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. John Desmond Nii Sowah Nai, presented the report of the Executive Committee meeting held on 21^st October 2026, highlighting key recommendations for the Assembly’s consideration. The recommendations included providing laptops for Assembly Members, improving revenue mobilization, engaging an in-house mechanic, supporting the preparation of a planning scheme and increasing the Electoral Area Development Fund from GH 10,000 to GH 20,000 cedis.

The Committee also called for support towards an ambulance for Amasaman Municipal Hospital, improved road safety through the completion of a footbridge, proper cattle management and better sanitation at the Assembly. It further recommended inviting kwickBox Limited to explain its proposed waste management software. The MCE also announced plans to introduce security features, including holograms and QR codes, on Assembly permits and certificates to prevent forgery and protect revenue.

Officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Amasaman District, briefed the Assembly on challenges affecting electricity supply and service delivery in the municipality.

The Acting District Manager for ECG- Amasaman explained that ECG had faced delays in new connections and meter replacements due to a shortage of meters between May and September. He said over 1,800 single-phase meters had been received for installation. He also noted that ECG had moved its technical and operational teams to an office behind the Amasaman Stadium to make services more accessible to residents.

Another official, Francis Afful, apologized for the unstable power supply and explained that responding to faults was sometimes difficult because the district covers a wide area with about 625 transformers to maintain. He stated that construction works also made it difficult for response teams to reach some locations quickly. He added that damage to ECG installations and delays in reporting such incidents further affected power supply. The officials also raised concerns about assaults on ECG staff.  Residents were encouraged to report faults through the 24-hour call centre on 0302 611 611, the district fault line on 020 172 8099, or 0539 102 184.

The Assembly was also briefed by a representative of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) on a proposed collaboration to address unlicensed motorcycle and ‘Okada’ riders in the municipality. The representative welcomed the initiative and suggested that the Assembly first engage the various rider associations to establish their membership numbers. This would help the DVLA organize training and licensing activities for the riders. He disclosed that obtaining a Category A motorcycle license costs GH1,050.25 cedis, including the additional mandatory fee. He also explained that the age requirement for commercial motorcycle riders was under review by the Authority.

The Municipal Planning Officer Mrs. Cynthia Bonsah presented the 2027 Annual Action Plan, which contains 207 activities from the various departments and units, with an estimated cost of GH 66,503,666.22 cedis. She explained that most of the projects under the Works Department had been carried forward from 2026 to 2027 because they had not yet commenced. She added that no new Common Fund projects had been introduced, as the Assembly was expected to complete ongoing projects before starting new ones.

The Municipal Budget Officer, Madam Mary A. A. Acquah, also presented the 2027 Proposed Budget, Fee-Fixing and Rate Imposition Resolutions, and Revenue Improvement Action Plan. She announced a total budget of GH 91.5 million cedis, comprising GH 17.9 million cedis in Internally Generated Funds (IGF) and GH 73.5 million cedis in grants.

She explained that the Assembly had decided to maintain the existing fees and rates for 2027 following consultations with ratepayers. She further disclosed that 29 revenue improvement activities would be implemented at a cost of GH 474,200 cedis, with the aim of raising GH 17.9 million cedis in IGF. She recommended the adoption of electronic revenue collection systems and measures to control the Assembly’s wage bill to create more room for development.

During discussions, Hon. Charles Yao Abusah raised concerns about boundary issues between the Ga West and Ga North Municipal Assemblies. In response, the MCE proposed that the Planning Department, together with the Coordinating Director, write formally to the Ga North Municipal Assembly to arrange a meeting to discuss the matter and work towards resolving the concerns.

 The MCE also provided members with updates on an ongoing project. He disclosed that the Assembly had secured a GETFund contract for the construction of a two-storey dormitory block, a dining hall, a kitchen and a three-bedroom headmaster’s residence for Ajden Kotoku Secondary School. He said work on the projects was expected to commence immediately.

The meeting concluded with the presiding member updating members on the 24-hour economy market, stating that foundation works had begun. He assured members that the Physical Development Department would inspect the project and report any issues to the contractor. He also indicated that work on electoral area projects was expected to begin before the end of the year and that streetlights would be procured for communities by the following month.

Source: Awudi Francisca Afi, ISD-GWMA