Assembly members at the meeting
Assembly members from the Accra Metropolis have unanimously approved its composite budget for 2023 to enable the Assembly to undertake its projects.
The budget which was approved on Thursday night at the Fourth (4th) Ordinary Meeting of the Third (3rd) Session of the Seventh (7th) Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) estimates a total resource envelope of  GHC50,596,640.20 by 31st December 2023.
The budget also proposes a 14.21 per cent increase in Internally Generating Fund (IGF)from GH¢ 20,599,717.00 to GHC23,527,722.20 by the end of the financial year.
According to the budget estimates, 37.13 per cent of the budget would be injected into economic projects, 24.59 per cent into social, 26.29 per cent into administration, 7.84 per cent into the environment, while 4.14 per cent would be reserved for contingency.
Mayor of Accra, Elizabeth K. T Sackey, in an interview after the approval of the budget estimates said the Assembly would construct an abattoir with a slaughterhouse, cattle ranch, store, freezing area, and an office, support electoral area project of Assembly members, continue the construction of the fence wall at the Agbogbloshie market, as well as maintain selected lorry parks and markets in the metropolis.
She said the AMA would be celebrating its 125th anniversary next year adding that the Assembly would leverage on digitisation to improve its revenue mobilisation by launching a digital platform for the payment of all its rates.
She reiterated the Assembly’s responsibility to find new and innovative ways of mobilising resources internally to fund its developmental needs whilst giving priority to government policies and programmes.
Presiding members of the AMA, Alfred Adjei before the approval called on the central administration of the AMA to make the electoral area project a priority to enable assembly members to undertake development projects in their electoral areas and assured that the needs assessment on the various project would be submitted to the administration between January and February.
“We want to urge central administration to make the electoral area project a priority… We are also going to ensure that the needs assessment on the electoral area project is submitted to the administration between January and February,” he said.
He also used the opportunity to thank Assembly members for their commitment to the development of the City of Accra.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri