The Ga West Municipal Assembly, together with the People’s Dialogue on Human Settlement and the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC), held a multi-stakeholder engagement on Tuesday, 28th April at the Assembly Hall. The event formed part of ongoing action research efforts focused on promoting inclusive development and improving human settlements within the municipality.

Mrs. Cynthia Bonsah, the Municipal Planning Officer, in her welcome address welcomed all and commended their strong participation and commitment and stressed the importance of partnerships in community development.She emphasized that effective development depends on the municipality’s ability to mobilize sufficient financial resources to address community needs. She concluded by encouraging participants to actively contribute to the discussions, expressing optimism that the meeting would produce meaningful outcomes for the development of Ga West.

Speaking on the purpose of the meeting, the MCE, Hon. John Desmond Sowah Nai emphasized the importance of the engagement and the partnership. He noted that Ga West is the first municipality to benefit from the programme and reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to supporting residents. He also stressed the importance of transparency, accurate data collection, and sustainable planning in addressing challenges and improving service delivery. He concluded by thanking participants and partners present.

The Municipal Budget Analyst, Madam Mary Acquah, gave an overview of the Ga West Municipal Assembly’s budget preparation and revenue management processes. She delivered a presentation to help participants understand the Assembly’s budget, its purpose, the budgeting cycle, and financial management systems. She noted that the budget serves as a planning tool for allocating resources to projects, programmes, and development activities within the municipality.

Ms. Acquah emphasized the importance of the Revenue Improvement Action Plan (RIAP) as a strategic guide for enhancing revenue collection through innovative measures. She concluded that effective budgeting and proper revenue management are crucial for better service delivery, successful development projects, and sustainable growth in the Ga West Municipality.

Mrs. Cynthia Bonsah, the Municipal Development Planning Officer presented the Assembly’s 2026–2029 Medium-Term Development Plan. She emphasized that public participation and revenue mobilization are essential because government’s support alone cannot meet all development needs. She therefore encouraged residents to pay property rates, business permits, and other levies to support community projects and services.

She explained that the stakeholder engagement meeting aimed to promote transparency and accountability by updating residents on projects, progress, challenges, and future development priorities. She added that the Assembly values community collaboration and sees public participation as vital for achieving sustainable development in the Ga West Municipality.

Dr. Samuel Bitiir, Chairman of African City Research Consortium, spoke about the project “Enhancing Property Tax Administration in Ghana: Community Valuation Assistants and Citizen Education for Improved Governance,” which is being implemented under the African Cities Research Consortium initiative.

He explained that the project aims to improve property tax administration in local assemblies by strengthening property valuation systems and increasing public awareness about the importance of paying property rates. The initiative will use Community Valuation Assistants to support property identification, data collection, and valuation within communities with implementation starting from April to September 2026 at the Amasaman Zonal Council under the Ga West Municipality.

He further noted that improving property tax systems would help local authorities increase internally generated funds to support development projects and strengthen governance in municipalities like Ga West.

Present at the meeting were the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. John Desmond Sowah Nai, Mrs. Louisa Benon, the Coordinating Director, Hon. Emmanuel M.K. Amuzu, the Presiding Member, Assembly Members, Dignitaries from partner institutions, technical officers and community stakeholders

The meeting emphasized Ga West Municipal Assembly’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable development through collaboration, transparency, and community participation. Key discussions focused on planning, budgeting, revenue mobilization, and property tax improvement to support better service delivery and living conditions. Participants were encouraged to actively support the Assembly’s efforts toward sustainable growth and improved quality of life in the municipality.

Source: Christiana Ayika and Gifty Owusu Kattah ISD-GWMA