The Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly has engaged stakeholders on the fixing of rates and fees for 2021.

The move was to avoid conflict between the Assembly and the stakeholders.

The exercise was also in line with the Local Government Act 2016 Act 936, which mandates the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly to engage opinion leaders and Assembly members within the MMDA's in determining how much to be levied on the residents for development.

Speaking at the programme, Mr Bright Ohene Appiah, Municipal Budget Analyst, said although the Assembly received funding from the central government and donors, it was inadequate to develop the Municipality.

He said the Assembly relied more on its Internally Generated Fund for projects.

He said stakeholders’ inputs were critical to assist the Assembly in its revenue mobilization drive.

"Currently if you look at the fees that we have fixed for next year, almost all the fees are the same as 2020. This is because of the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

Mr Appiah said the involvement of the stakeholders in the exercise would ensure they pay the fees and rates to enable the Assembly to generate enough revenue to develop the communities in the Municipality.

The Municipal Budget Analyst said: "We cannot sit in our office and fix fees while we do not deliberate with our major stakeholders, who are the private enterprises."