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Mr Ishmael Ashitey Greater-Accra Regional Minister has expressed the determination of government to ensure that the National Cake was evenly and fairly distributed to ensure total transformation of all districts.

He said the Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA’s) were partners in national development and as partners they were required to generate enough internally Generated Funds(IGFS) to enable them carry out development projects, provide social services as well as for the maintenance of law and order.

“I therefore promise to operate an open-door policy and an all-inclusive administration for us to steer the affairs of this region for the improvement of the quality of lives of our people.”

Mr Ashitey said this during a working visit to the Ada East and West District Assemblies to familiarise himself with their operations as well as introduce himself to them, get to know their achievements and challenges and to fashion out strategies to overcome them.

He said both districts were blessed with a lot of resources that had the potential of rapidly developing their districts to improve the living conditions of the people.

“The topography and the vegetation of the Ada East district makes the district economically favourable for agriculture development through mechanisation and provision of irrigation systems.”

He said salt production had remained a major economic activity for many people in the district and the climatic conditions and the topography had made the enclave the idea for crystallisation of salt.

“Unfortunately, we have not been able to properly position and manage the sector in a way to attract huge investment into the sector to produce in extremely large and commercial quantities for domestic, regional as well as international market,” he added.

Mr Ashitey noted that the fishing industry in the district also presented a huge potential for people in the area, and if properly harnessed would be a major source of revenue, jobs, and wealth creation for the people.

In the Ada West District, he noted that the tourism potential of the district had not been fully utilised given the fact that the Volta River and its tributaries and the Ada Foah estuary were located in the district.

He said “the transformation of our economy to create jobs, generate income and reduce poverty is the single most important challenge confronting the country. Underpinning this challenge is the need to provide adequate social services and infrastructure. Fortunately, this area has lots of potential for Tourism promotion and Development.”

He urged both districts to assist and cooperate with all potential investors willing to invest in this traditional area, saying ‘let us through policy guidelines, rules and regulation ensure the avoidance of multiple sales of lands that will deter businesses from investing in Ada.’

“I am therefore looking forward for you to come up with viable proposals that could attract massive investment outlays into the area and equally look at your potentials in the tourism industry in view of the long stretch of sandy beaches, lagoons for water sport and other opportunities in the hospitality industry.”

The Regional Minister also challenged the Assemblies to step up their efforts to be able to generate enough revenue to meet the ever-increasing demands of the people in the assemblies.

“I implore you to spend prudently the financial and material resources that would come to your assemblies by way of your IGF, central Government allocation and other sources of funding so as to ensure value for money on projects that you undertake.”

“The issue of revenue mobilisation should be very high on the agenda of your everyday activities at the Assembly. But most importantly, we should together find ways of blocking the numerous leakages in financial administration of the system.”, he added.