The Kassena-Nankana West District Assembly in the Upper East Region has launched a COVID-19 Recovery Plan and Integrated Assembly Financing framework to resuscitate the assembly.
The framework’s target is to consolidate existing revenue sources of the assembly, attract and sustain private sector investments to mitigate the dire impact of COVID-19 on the livelihoods of residents.
Speaking at the launch in Paga, a representative of the Assembly’s District Coordinating Director, Sorku Issahaku said, the plan developed by the assembly with support from the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has proposals to address the effects of COVID-19 on citizens if well implemented.
“We see this plan to be the beginning of our recovery for the effects this pandemic has caused the people of this district. It will help us address the dangers posed by this pandemic.”
The effects of COVID-19 especially the economic effect cannot be overemphasized, most people lost their jobs, traders could not do their businesses and because of the pandemic, the assembly could not generate the needed revenue. With this plan if well implemented we should be heading towards recovery from all the dangers that it poses to us.”
“Among the proposals is the issue of our Internally Generated Funds (IGF) been badly affected in the sense that, we generate most of our IGF from our borderline and because of the closure of the borders our neighbours couldn’t travel into the country.”
They were using illegal means and this did not only pose serious security challenges but we did not also generate revenue. With this plan, a lot of identification of solutions has been outlined to overcome the effects of COVID-19.”
Dr. Richard Osei Bofah, Deputy Director of NDPC, implored stakeholders to monitor the assembly’s progression in its implementation of the plan.
He added that the recovery plan was necessary to help assemblies build resilience for enhanced livelihoods for citizens through a robust local economy.
The plan targets to create jobs through community emergency development fund, tax incentives and flexible loans for local businesses.
It will also provide WASH facilities for citizens, construction of markets, strengthen E-learning in schools and develop a database of vulnerable people in the district.
