The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) is negotiating with the International Municipal Investment Fund (IMIF) to secure support for some selected projects.
The KMA is considering support for the construction of the Krofrom Market complex project, the construction of a multi-storey car park, and the Bus Rapid Transit system.
The Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr. Samuel Pyne, who announced this at the First Ordinary Meeting of the 4th Session of the 8th Assembly on Tuesday, said the Assembly was anticipating the first mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) team to Kumasi as part of the implementation arrangements.
Tenders for the New Tafo (Krofrom) Market complex project, being undertaken by the Regional Coordinating Council in conjunction with the KMA to increase retail space in the Metropolis,
were opened in September 2008 under the Government of Ghana (GoG) funding, for which eight contractors were awarded the contract and paid a total of GH¢1,014,558.02 as at November 2008, as 20 percent mobilisation fee of the contract sum.
About 1,900 traders and 20 transport operators occupying the space then were displaced to make way for the implementation of the GH¢15,001,023.41 project in 2008, but it stalled for more than nine years due to irregular flow of funds.
The mobilisation of contractors and reconstruction of the project followed frantic efforts by the management of the KMA, with the support of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to secure GH¢40 million from the Fidelity Bank for the completion of the New Tafo (Krofrom) Market, all eight contractors, who won the bid to execute the construction of the market in 2008, returned to site to commence work in 2019, only for the project to stall again.
The contractors are Messrs Sir Bans Designs and Building Company Limited, Orabek Ghana Limited, A. BEK Limited, Joevid Company Limited, Messrs Attachy Construction, E. Owusu Mensah & Company, Messrs. Stanbay Limited, and Messrs. Jinas Construction Limited.
Notwithstanding the delay in the construction of the market, the Mayor, last Tuesday, announced that in furtherance of the Assembly’s developmental agenda, the KMA had embarked on about 27 projects in the areas of education, roads, water and sanitation, and governance.
The KMA Boss also announced that the Assembly had established a Task Force to check congestion at the Central Business District from loading at unauthorised points by transport operators, and use of the pavements and walkways for trading.
He disclosed that the KMA was also considering lasting solutions to congestion under the Sustainable Urban Mobility Project (SUMP), with funding from Agence Française de Développement (AfD), which was preparing a plan to guide the development of transport in the city over the next 15 years.
Mr. Sam Pyne also disclosed that the KMA intended to establish a Transport Authority to manage the transport sector.
He also said the Assembly, with the support of the World Bank, was implementing the Kumasi Urban Mobility Project (KUMAP) to establish a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system in the Metropolis, for which the Abuakwa and Ejisu road corridors had been selected.
Mr. Pyne stated that finance still remains a major challenge for the KMA, as its expenditure far exceeded its revenue, and urged members to help maximise revenue by enhancing the Assembly’s Internally Generated Fund (IGF), as well as working to reduce revenue leakages.
On education, the Mayor announced that the KMA sponsored Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) mock examinations for 7,000 candidates, and also provided educational materials for Kindergarten and Basic One pupils under the My First Day at School concept.
Under agriculture, the KMA distributed NPK, Ammonium sulfate, as well as liquid and power organic fertilisers to 1,441 beneficiaries, according to Mr. Pyne.
