The Chief Executive (MCE) of the Ga East Municipal Assembly (GEMA), Edmund Agboh, has announced the introduction of electronic payment system to enhance revenue mobilisation by making it more convenient for residents to fulfill their obligations.

As of June 2025, the assembly had manually collected GH¢8.34 million out of a budgeted GH¢14.97 million for the year, representing 55.71 per cent of the target.  Revenue was collected from property rates, land royalties, licences, fees, rent and fines.

Mr Agboh expressed the belief that the e-payment system would improve revenue mobilisation.

He urged property owners, businesses and residents to pay their dues promptly to enable the assembly to undertake and complete development projects.

The MCE was speaking during the assembly’s first town hall meeting for 2025 at Abokobi, the municipal capital, in the Greater Accra Region last Friday.

The meeting was aimed at presenting the assembly’s Annual Action Plan performance and Composite Budget for the Mid-Year, 2025 and create an opportunity to deepen democracy and increase citizen-participation in governance at the local level.

Development

Mr Agboh expressed his commitment to work with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to intensify efforts to correct illegal developments along watercourses which caused flooding in the municipality.

"Encroachment on watercourses for habitation and business purposes and indiscriminate dumping of refuse choke our already narrow gutters and drains, resulting in flooding whenever it rains heavily," he said.

He pleaded with traditional authorities, landowners and prospective developers to desist from building on waterways.

The MCE added that the assembly would embark on massive enforcement activities to stem the negative sanitation and environmental practices.

He, however, acknowledged bad roads and lack of drains as a challenge in the municipality but expressed his commitment to make majority of them motorable.

“Since my assumption of office some three months ago, we have managed, through our meagre Internally Generated Fund (IGF), undertaken some reshaping activities at Agbogba Junction

Ablorh Adjei, Ahmadiyya-Old Ashongman Downtown, Haatso ECOMOG, and Ga East Municipal Hospital roads.

“These may not be enough, but I believe it has served a good purpose. In furtherance to efforts towards improvement of the conditions of our roads, I wish to inform you that soon the DRIP machines would start operations, and we are planning to visit all our ten electoral areas,” he said.

Mid-year revenue

Presenting the Mid-Year 2025 Composite Budget performance, the Municipal Budget Analyst, Benedicta Obeng Nyarko, said as of June 2025, the assembly had not received money for goods and services, although they had a budget of GH¢150,000.

With respect to the District Assembly Common Fund, she said they were expecting to receive GH?5.69 million but had received GH¢515,302.28 as of June this year.

The Municipal Planning Officer of the assembly, Mr Daniel Baah Tenkorang, presenting the Mid-Year performance of the Annual Action Plan for 2025, said projects and programmes on economic, social and infrastructure development were at various stages of completion with others having been completed.