On Thursday, 8th February, 2024, the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly convened a stakeholder meeting with department heads, agencies, and institutions in the municipality to assess progress, challenges, and fund lasting solution for development. The meeting chaired by the Municipal Coordinating Director Mr. Edward Abazing, was aimed to comply with Section 81 of the Local Governance Act (2016), fostering collaboration and development.
Present were various Heads of Institutions including the Electricity Company of Ghana, Ghana Water Company, and Ghana Health Services, Ghana Immigration Services, Ghana Police Services, Ghana Fire Service, Ghana National Ambulance Service, along with agencies like Heads of department from the assembly, Representatives from entities like the Ghana Revenue Authority, Municipal Education Directorate, NCCE, NADMO, MPPO, Ghana enterprise agency, SSNIT, Urban roads and Agricultural Department outlined their mandates, operations, and challenges, and the Social welfare Department.
Mr. Abazing emphasized the need for cooperation in presenting achievements and addressing challenges to ensure accountability and benefit the municipality. In a stirring address at the 2024 Joint Planning Meeting of Public Institutions in New Juaben South Municipality, Municipal Chief Executive Issac Appaw-Gyasi lauded the collective efforts that propelled the Municipality to unprecedented heights. Acknowledging the attendees' commitment to progress, he emphasized the pivotal role of the meeting in shaping the municipality's future endeavors.
The MCE, highlighted the outstanding District Performance Assessment Tool (DPAT) score of 97 out of 97, positioning New Juaben South among the top ten assemblies nationwide. Notably, the Municipality excelled in various sectors, including health, governance, education, and child protection.
The MCE attributed these achievements to the collaborative spirit and dedication of all stakeholders, underscoring their role in surpassing expectations. He emphasized the impact of effective governance on residents' lives, citing ongoing projects such as the Ghana Secondary Cities Project and road infrastructure improvements.
He reiterated the Municipality's unwavering commitment to progress, outlining initiatives to enhance public services and foster sustainable development. He called upon attendees to seize opportunities, surmount challenges, and collectively strive for unparalleled achievement in 2024. The MCE expressed pride in the Municipality's accomplishments and urged unity, determination, and commitment to future success. The speech concluded with a call for fruitful deliberations and collaborative endeavors, setting the stage for a promising future for New Juaben South Municipality.
Representatives from entities like the Ghana Revenue Authority, Municipal Education Directorate, SSNIT, Urban roads, the Social Welfare and Community Development Department and the Ghana Police Services outlined their mandates, operations, achievements and challenges.
Mr. Antwi Kwao, the representative from Ghana Revenue Authority(GRA), presented the achievements and 2024 targets for the agency, saying the Ghana Revenue Authority had set a nationwide target of 109 billion Ghana cedi of which the agency hope to achieve However, by the end of 2023 last year GRA had collected 130 billion Ghana cedis, exceeding the target by 3.80, representing 3.5% and he added that revenue received from Koforidua, exceeded its revenue target of 194 million Ghana cedis in same period.
Madam Asamoah, the Public Relations Officer for Koforidua SSNIT area, also highlighted on several key initiatives and achievements for the year 2023 and attributed the success chock s to Self-Employed Enrollment Program, (SEEP) which aimed to extend social protection to workers outside the formal sector. She continued by saying through the extensive outreach efforts, SSNIT significantly increased enrollment, with over 48,000 new members registered, including 1,000 from the municipality of Koforidua.
Madam Josephine Dzokoto, the head of Social Welfare and Community Development, highlighted some activity like child protection and the promotion of child, the department undertook which helped in the reduction of child abuse and missing children cases in the municipality. Mr. Haruna Yussif Appiah, the Municipal Education Director, highlighted initiatives such as organized a workshop for science and math teachers to improve their skills in teaching math’s and science, especially in the practical areas. Plans are far advanced to do more in the education sector.