Assembly appeals to Northern Development Authority to complete stalled Projects

The Sissala East Municipal Assembly has appealed to the Northern Development Authority to consider completing sub-projects, which are at various stages of construction.

Mr Fuseini Batong, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), made the appeal during the third ordinary sitting of the Assembly.

The MCE expressed worry that during the period under review some projects were undertaken with some ongoing and others nearing completion but seems abandoned.

“Thirteen Projects started by the Northern Development Authority in 2020 with a completion period of three months since 2020 April had all now stalled and required completion to benefit the people of the area,” he said.

He said nine of the projects were at the roofing stage while the rest have had the sites handed over with two at the lintel level and stressed the need for the authority to complete the projects.

The MCE noted that “the completion of the projects will reduce the infrastructure challenges faced in the educational sector whilst the completion of the Community Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) will bring healthcare delivery to the doorstep of the people in the municipality.”

Mr Batong thanked the staff of the Assembly and encouraged them to continue to give their best in ensuring that the Assembly developed to befit its status.

He thanked the government for releasing the Districts Assembly’s Common Fund (DACF) for the last quarter of 2020 as well as the first quarter of 2021 and appealed for the release of the second and third quarters of this year to accelerate development in the municipality.

Overall, the MCE revealed “the Sissala East Assembly was able to mobilize an amount of GH¢ 380,477.00 as its internally generated funds (IGF) for the period June 1 September 30, 2021, representing 43.60 per cent of the total estimated target.

Only 40 per cent of the five zonal councils was realized out of the five zonal councils who raised a total of GH¢199,893.50 out of the GH 500,000.00 expected target.

The highest of the five was the Welembelle zonal council, who raked in GH¢ 64,217.00 representing 64 per cent and the lowest being Sakai zonal council which mobilized GH¢ 21,962.00 representing 22 per cent.

Mr Sumaila Doho, the Presiding Member for the Assembly, attributed the low level of internally generated funds to revenue leakages and dishonesty on the part of some revenue collectors and declared the year 2022 as the year of accountable revenue mobilization.

The Assembly approved all documents presented to the House, which included the MCEs speech, the composite Budget, fee fixing resolution and the Annual Action Plan, all for the 2022 fiscal year.