Agriculture is the main economy of the people. The common crops cultivated in the Municipality include yam, maize, millet, rice, cassava and groundnuts. The main cash crop produced is shea nut, which is grown in the wild.

The Municipality falls within the sub-basins of the Black and White Volta. Other rivers and seasonal tributaries form a network with some important valleys such as the, Katanga and Chambugu which are suitable for rice farming. Groundwater use is common with an estimated 184 boreholes have been drilled since 1970.

The Municipality has a Cassava Processing Factory in Salaga for processing cassava into products such as flour, cakes, starch, animal feed and other products. This does not only provide an avenue to process a home grown crop but also provides a source of income for the people.

Transportation system

The main mode of transport in the Municipality is road and the most common means is motor vehicles and bicycles. The district has an airstrip located at Nkwanta near Salaga. This supports limited 4 air transport either by helicopter or Fokker 8 to Salaga. There is also some water transportation system on the Volta Lake from Makango to Yeji in the Bono East Region. There are outboard motors that navigate the same route on a daily basis.

The road network in the Municipality spans a total of 612.2km linking the Municipal capital to other communities as well as other neighbouring districts. A total of 435.6km or 72 percent of the road network is engineered and 135.10km partly engineered. The non-engineered roads total 45.50km. Others are farm tracks, which are accessible only during the dry season.

Tourism Salaga, the Municipal capital was the hub of the slave trade in the West African Sub-Region and had one of the biggest slave markets in Ghana and the sub-Saharan region as a whole. The Municipality also has the highest density of hand-dug wells that were used for the bathing of Slaves. Slavery is no longer practiced, but the wells and other slave artifacts remain for tourism purposes.

Electricity and power

Salaga, the Municipality capital was hooked on to the national grid in March, 1998 and since then, other communities, especially those considered under the resettlement scheme, have been connected to the national grid.

Economic institutions

The East Gonja Municipality enjoys the services of Ghana Commercial Bank and it is the only resident banking institution in the Municipality. Social Enterprise Development (SEND) Foundation of West Africa facilitated the setting-up of two Credit Unions in the Municipality to mobilise and support registered members with credit facilities.

Telecommunication and ICT

The Municipality enjoys the services of five telecommunication service providers namely Vodafone Ghana which provides fixed line services as well as cellular, MTN, AitelTigo which provide cellular services. The district also has an ICT Centre that provides Internet services, ICT training and secretariat services.

Further

a. Agriculture

East Gonja Municipal is typically an agrarian economy. Over 76 percent of the employed population 15years and older are into agriculture. This is partly because of the fertile nature of the soil which supports the growth of varieties of crops such as yam, rice, maize and millet. Shea nut picking in the wild is the major form of cash cropping in the Municipality though conscious efforts are been made through government flagship programme over the years to replace with the more reliable cashew plantations. Fishing along the Volta Lake and livestock rearing are engaged in the Municipality mostly as a supplementary income activity though the potential exits to develop them to full economic venture.

b. Market Center

There are four (4) major markets that operate weekly within the Municipality, with that of the Municipality’s capital being the biggest. Products ranging from agricultural, second hand clothing to traditional drugs are displayed and sold on these days. A cattle market has also been established in Salaga that operates on weekly Saturdays.

c. Road Network

The Municipality’s major source of transportation is the road transport with motor vehicles and bikes as the major transportation units. The Municipality is span by 686.4km of roads network which links the Municipal capital to other communities as well as other neighbouring districts. Out of this, 168.1km are engineered and only 136.80km partly engineered. The non-engineered roads are 381. 80km. Others are farm tracks, which are accessible only during the dry season.

d. Education

Education is the bedrock of the development of any Municipality. In the East Gonja Municipal, it is being sponsored by both the government and the private sector. Of the About 2000 Hand washing facilities have been made available at communities, public areas and institutions to promote culture of hand washing in the Municipality.

g. Energy

Salaga, the Municipal capital was hooked on to the national grid in March, 1998 and since then, other fifty-Nine (59) communities, especially those considered under the resettlement scheme, have been connected to national electricity grid.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUB-PROGRAMME

Trade, Tourism and Industrial Development

1. Budget Sub-Programme Objective To encourage and accelerate the growth and development of micro and small scale enterprises to enable them contribute effectively to economic growth.

2. Budget Sub-Programme

Description

The Department of Trade, Industry and Tourism under the guidance of the Assembly would deal with issues related to trade, cottage industry and tourism in the district. The Business Advisory Centre and Co-operatives are the main organizational units spearheading the sub-programme which seeks to facilitate the implementation of policies on trade, industry and tourism in the Municipality. It also takes actions to reduce poverty by providing training in technical and business skills, assisting in the access of low-income people to capital and bank services and assisting the creation of new jobs. The subprogramme again seeks to improve on existing SMEs through financial assistance and managerial skill training as well as helping identify new avenues for jobs, value addition, access to market and adoption of new and improved technologies.

The main subprogram operations include;

· Advising on the provision of credit for micro, small-scale and medium scale enterprises

· Assisting to design, develop and implement a plan of action to meet the needs and expectations of organized groups

· Assisting in the establishment and management of rural and small-scale industries on commercial basis

· Promoting the formation of associations, co-operative groups and other organizations which are beneficial to the development of small-scale industries

· Offering business and trading advisory information services.

· Facilitating the promotion of tourism in the Municipality