Community members advised to collaborate with District Assemblies to facilitate development – Skyy Power FM

Members of the community have been urged to collaborate with the district assembly to facilitate development in their various communities.

Many times the development of the local communities in the metropolis is left to the sole care of the district assemblies and the citizens constantly complain whenever they have issues that they can even take care of.

Speaking on the Jolly Breakfast Show with Naomi Afriyie Nyanor, the Presiding Member of Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly, Honourable John Davids who also doubles as the Assemblyman for Anaji West made it known that, they do their best to cater for all the issues the assembly faces but sometimes, some of these issues are capital intensive.

He further noted that the revenues they get from property rates and other taxes are inadequate and this affects their budget as well.

Mr. Davids also said that there are unforeseen occurrences, like the recent floods that compel them to prioritize the issues to attend to as a matter of urgency.

He, therefore called on the members of the public to collaborate with the District Assemblies to extend a hand of support for the local communities to develop, “I wish that the resources were available, that we can solve everybody’s problem once and for all but it’s not possible”.

Honourable John Davids, talked about the new directive of the property rate collection being given to the Ghana Revenue Authority, GRA.

According to him, this new directive has been a challenge to them lately because most of the citizenry is not aware and it slows the collection process.

He also touched on the street lights on the major roads in the metropolis which are not working. For this, he said it’s as a result of the cost but the assembly is doing well to mobilize funds to address the issue.
He told the members of the public to exercise patience for the assembly to be working.

As an assembly member of the Anaji West electoral area, he highlighted the current state of the Anaji CK Mann Park and what the resident should expect, “where the park will be constructed, there has been a filling, we are waiting for the rainy season to be over to begin the astroturf. We all want the development of the Anaji community let’s all pray for this construction to come to light at least it will change the community for everybody”, he stated.

Speaking on the same issue, the Chairman of the Sekondi-Takoradi Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Mr Ato Vaness also established the fact that, the assembly and the Chambers of Commerce work hand in hand.

According to him, they are responsible for the business sector which generates taxes for the district assembly,” as the assembly is looking at the development things for the community, the chamber is the one responsible for the business that will generate taxes, build houses, trade, pay property for money to come into the community. The Sekondi-Takoradi and the STMA really work together”.

Responding to the pressure put on the assembly to cater for every issue, Mr Vaness said, citizens must reorient themselves to know the functions of the assembly and must as well collaborate with them to foster development in their various communities, “these things come up every day that we don’t see anything and the district assembly is not doing anything, we need a reorientation on who the assembly is, what they do and most importantly what we must do as our input because the assembly is not for anyone but for us all”.

Source: Samuel Yeboah Adams