Mpohor-Fiase District Assembly Engages Residents on Development Priorities at Third-Quarter Town Hall Meeting

Ayiem, Western Region — The Mpohor-Fiase District Assembly has engaged residents and key stakeholders on development priorities, budget performance and public financial management at its Third-Quarter Public Financial Management Town Hall Meeting held at the Ayiem Community Centre on Monday.

The meeting provided a platform for the Assembly to account for its financial and developmental activities, outline ongoing and planned projects, and receive feedback from residents on interventions aimed at improving service delivery across the district.

During the presentation, the District Planning Officer highlighted a major intervention being championed by the District Chief Executive (DCE) and the Member of Parliament (MP): the establishment of an oil palm processing centre to support women engaged in the oil palm value chain in Ayiem and surrounding communities. According to the officer, efforts are progressing steadily, and the initiative is expected to materialise, potentially before the end of 2026.

The proposed processing centre is expected to create opportunities for women involved in the oil palm business by enhancing value addition, improving processing capacity and strengthening market access. If implemented, the facility will boost local economic activity and improve livelihoods for women in Ayiem and its environs.

The intervention featured prominently among the development issues discussed as the Assembly outlined its priorities and responded to concerns raised by residents. Discussions also focused on projects earmarked for communities within the Ayiem Area Council, with some residents urging the Assembly to reconsider interventions they felt were less relevant to their immediate needs.

Residents called for greater attention to projects that directly address pressing community challenges, stressing the importance of consulting beneficiaries when determining development priorities to ensure that public investments deliver meaningful and lasting benefits.

Participants also posed questions on issues affecting their communities and the district’s broader development agenda. The Assembly’s leadership responded to the concerns raised and provided clarifications on the matters discussed.

The engagement formed part of the Assembly’s efforts to promote transparency, accountability and citizen participation in local governance, offering residents an opportunity to seek information, express concerns and contribute to development planning.

Held within the broader framework of Ghana’s decentralisation and development planning arrangements, the meeting underscored the importance of sustained dialogue between local authorities and residents to ensure that development initiatives reflect the needs and aspirations of beneficiary communities. It also reinforced the role of town hall meetings as vital platforms for public accountability, information sharing and constructive engagement.