Avoid Leakages In KMA Revenue Base – Mama Pat

MEMBER OF Parliament for Asokwa, Madam Patricia Appiagyei has advised the management of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to take steps to plug the holes in the revenue base of the Assembly if it has to generate enough funds for its developmental agenda.

The former KMA boss noted that leakages in revenue mobilization cost the Assembly a lot and must be controlled to encourage residents live up to their tax obligations.

 
The Asokwa legislator raised this concern when the mayor of Kumasi, Kojo Bonsu took his 'Listening tour', the second in a series of public fora dubbed 'Time with the mayor-Your Vision my Mission', to the constituents of Asokwa Sub Metro area last Sunday.

 
Madam Appiagyei, also known as Mama Pat, also called for expansion of infrastructure at the Kumasi South Hospital at Atonsu-Agogo in Kumasi, which the Ministry of Health has reportedly upgraded as the Regional Hospital.

 
She said the proposed expansion would not only ensure that the facility befits its news status as a Regional Hospital, but would also help ease congestion and reduce the pressure brought to bear on Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital the main health facility.

 
Mama Pat expressed concern that most in the Locality had  not benefited from the Laptop project  for schools even though pupils write the same ICT exams like those in other beneficiary schools elsewhere, and asked that the disparity in the distribution of laptops under the programme must be rectified to benefit all pupils and schools.

 
The Asokwa MP also complained of lack of access routes and bypass in her constituency and questioned the delay of the construction of the Coca-Cola-Sewua junction dual carriage road which has been a contributing factor for the ever present jammed traffic along that stretch of road.

 
Mama Pat called for attitudinal change in the behaviour of constituents  to enable  the  KMA  embark on transformation it so much desires in order to change the face of Kumasi under its developmental agenda.  

 
Contributing to the  forum, Nana Mensah Bonsu, chief of Kaase drew the attention of the KMA to the upsurge of unauthorized wooden structures at the area, a situation he said, had turned the area into a haven  for criminals.

 
But the Asokwahene, Nana Ofe Bamuah blamed Assemblymen for the allocation of  sites for these unauthorized structures, as a result of which 'wee' peddling is on the rise and called on the KMA  to ensure sanity in this area.

 
Rev. Dr. ASP S. Nyamekye Adane-Ameyaw, the Asokwa Divisional Police Commander noted that inadequate street lights and traffic congestion threatened security and effective policing. 

 
He appealed to chiefs to provide land for the establishments of police stations and posts in new settlements since existing police stations are remote from the new sites. The police chief said such support would go a long way in the fight against crime and ensure protection of lives and property.

 
Some of the residents called on the KMA to consider the redevelopment of the Kumasi Children's Park at Amakom and ensure that it (KMA) rids the streets Kumasi of lunatics because they are a nuisance to members of the public.

 
They also want gutters covered to avoid choking urging the KMA to take steps to stop the littering of the streets with garbage by waste collectors to improve on sanitation.

 
The mayor of Kumasi Kojo Bonsu called on residents to support the development agenda of the Assembly to ensure that Kumasi is changed in the next five years.

 
He stressed that 'the development of Kumasi  must not be partisan' and assured that  KMA  would  track  all revenue,  be it  outsourced  revenue , Internally Generated funds, property rates, permits and levies to push its  agenda  for development.

 
The KMA boss reiterated his ultimatum for residents to   pay all forms of taxes by March 31, 2014 to enable the KMA generate enough funds for its development of all programmes