The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has tripped its revenue from Gh¢10 million to Gh¢40 million under the able leadership of the indefatigable Mayor of Accra, Dr. Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije.
This unmatched feat was achieved after the Mayor, Dr. Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije tok over the management of the Assembly from 2009; implementing feasible steps in ensuring that more revue is generated by the Assembly to enable it implement more developmental projects within the region.
It is an undeniable fact that the Mayor of Accra, who has achieved so much for the people of Ghana, placing Accra on a pedestal among cities of the world, has become a household name both home and abroad.
In 2015, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), exceeded its revenue target by four million Ghana Cedis, in 2014.
In that year, the Assembly budgeted for 26 million Ghana Cedis and made 30 million Ghana Cedis through an intensive revenue mobilization drive implemented by the Mayor, to generate more funds to expand the scope of its development projects.
Dr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, who is also the NDC Parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma South Constituency disclosed during his house-to-house campaign that in 2015, The Assembly had targeted 86 million Ghana Cedis for the Assembly to realize its vision of transforming the city and building more schools in the metropolis.
Residents of Ablekuma South were thrown into wild jubilation when Dr. Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije broke the news of helping the Assembly to triple its revenue from Gh¢10 million to Gh¢40 million in 2016.
He said, under his leadership the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) embarked on a rigorous revenue mobilisation drive with the projection to increase its revenue by 17.3 per cent in 2016.
Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, said the achievement was as result of that vigorous revenue mobilisation campaigns the assembly had embarked upon since 2009 which had seen a revenue increase of more than 100 per cent.
He told supporters that the AMA’s internally generated fund (IGF) in 2011 increased by GH¢20,323,193, representing 53.1 per cent, while in 2012, it increased by GH¢22,990,853.81, which represented 13.1 per cent.
With respect to 2013, he indicated that revenue increased by GH¢25,100,000, representing 9.1 per cent, and in 2015 it recorded a GH¢32.145749.12 rise that represented 28 per cent.
His revelation was greeted by loud applause and cheers from members of the constituency who were happy to hear that chunk of the revenue collected was ploughed into areas such as education, infrastructure, health, sanitation, agriculture, transportation, roads and the street-naming exercise.
Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije also told his people that the assembly had, beginning from February this year, pursued the prosecution of people who defaulted in their tax obligations in 2015, resulting in the great achievement and the unprecedented increase in revenue, first in the history of the AMA.
He also indicated that, the claims by the opposition NPP that the NDC has done nothing for the communities cannot be accepted since, the AMA under his watch abolished the shift system in the 2010/2011 academic year, and had successfully completed and furnished 14 Millennium City Schools (MCSs) out of the 100 that were under construction as part of efforts to improve the quality of education in the country.
The assembly, he stated, would inaugurate newly completed Millennium City Schools and also work on the construction of six new schools under the Urban Development Grant.
He also pointed out that his tireless efforts to build a better city has placed Accra among thirty-five (35) Most Resilient Cities in the world, of which the Rockefeller Foundation awarded Accra $1,000,000 fund to assists the city to develop.
Dr. Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, this was not achieved overnight but through “leadership role and tireless efforts” he played in ensuring that Accra becomes a resilient one through innovations such as the Millennium City School project.
He however disabused the minds of the people from the claims by the NPP and his opponent that the Rockefeller Foundation fund had been squandered on his campaign.
According to him, Foundations like Rockefeller will not give out money to people who will have nothing better to do than to squander and that, the continuous project he is undertaking within the city has also won the admiration of Bloomberg Foundation.
“This is great for us and for our nation,” he said.
He promised that the City of Accra will continue to grow under his care even more as the MP for Ablekuma South. He appealed to the people to vote massively for him as the MP and for the NDC as the governing party in the coming election on December 7.
By Prosper Agbenyega
