Introduction

After carefully analysing the existing documents on the Municipality and in addition, holding series of stakeholders meetings on the needs and aspirations of Assembly, it is generally revealed that the Assembly has a lot and unlimited number of development projects to be undertaken but has very limited resources. Needs are often very many but the means and resources to satisfy them are limited hence only a few could be implemented at a time.

In view this, identified development projects will have to be prioritised, which this chapter would attempt to deal with it. It is the Assembly mandatory wish to have intervened in all the development issues or gaps, but the limited resources has put the Municipality in a daunt state, and thus the need for a careful prioritisation to help identify needs that should be given early attention with the limited resources.

The communities’ participated perspective on current needs and aspirations were carefully executed from community specific, are listed and harmonized as identified development problems/issues.

The current needs and GSGDA (2010 - 2013) have been linked and harmonized. This is to verify that the harmonized identified development problem is in correlation (tandem) with the GSGDA2014-2017 issues.

Development Priorities

The developments priorities for the Municipality for the plan period of 2014-2017 have been listed in accordance to satisfy the set key thematic areas of the MTDPF 2014-2017. The MPCU in consultation with the centralised and decentralised sector departments and units agreed on the programmes anticipated for the development of the Assembly.

The development priorities of the Assembly include under-listed programmes under each key thematic area below:

Ensuring and Sustaining Macroeconomic Stability

1. Promote / ensure valuation of properties
2. Conduct socio-economic survey
3. Improve revenue and expenditure management

Enhancing Competitiveness of Ghana’s Private Sector

• Collaborate with donor
• Improve upon the Data base Management System of the Assembly
• Regulate private sector activities in the Municipality
• Create an enabling environment for the private sector
• Promote public transport system
• Improve access to existing social safety nets
• Improve access to credit facilities.

Accelerated Agriculture Modernization and Natural Resource Management

• Promote modern agricultural practices
• Promote access to agricultural facilities
• Encourage the youth into agriculture

Oil and Gas Development

• Collaborate with private sector to construct fuel filling stations
• Promote the use of gas (LPG) as alternative sources of domestic cooking energy

Infrastructure and Human Settlements Development

• Extend and renovated of pipelines for portable water.
• Etension of electricity
• Construct and upgradeurban roads
• Construct and maintain markets
• Maintain layouts of Sowutuom / Santa Maria
• Provide  layouts and planning schemes (structural plans)
• Construct and upgrade of lorry parks.
• Construct and maintain drainage system
• Construct of culverts
• De-silt drains and gutters
• Collaborate / construct final waste disposal sites
• Promote maintenance culture on buildings
• Ensure effective physical development control
• Expand economic and social opportunities to deprived communities
• Promote effective collaboration between the Assembly and traditional authorities for land administration

Human Development, Employment and Productivity

• Construct & renovate of basic schools
• Construct secondary institution
• Construct boreholes
• Support brilliant but needy students
• Extend school feeding programme
• Train human resource for development
• Ensure quality standards of education
• promote SMEs in the Municipality

Transparent and Accountable Governance

• Promote general security in the Municipality
• Complete and Strengthen the Assembly system for effective operations
• Construct a district magistrate court
• Institute community mobilization fund for Assembly Members
• Provision of police stations.
• Improve upon revenue mobilization of  the Assembly
• Ensure gender equality in decision mark

PRIORITISATION OF DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

Identified Key Development Issues (GSGDA I 2010-2013) With Thematic Areas

1. ENSURING AND SUSTAINING MACROECONOMIC STABILITY

To establish a local economic development hence improving revenue mobilization.  Also improving expenditure management , create job opportunities and development of skills (Low employment low revenue mobilization)

2. ENHANCING COMPETITIVENESS IN GHANA’S PRIVATE SECTOR

To strengthen the capacity of small scale enterprises to enable them operate effectively and also facilitate their access to capital for the expansion of their business. (Weak operations of small scale enterprises)

3. ACCELERATED AGRICULTURAL MODERNIZATION AND SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.

To promote the cultivation of some selected crops and livestock rearing for food security and income. Also to ensuring restoration of degraded natural resources especially tree planting by all and sundry.  (Low activity of agricultural practice)

4. INFRASTRUCTURE, ENERGY AND HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

To ensure an increased access to reliable and adequate energy supply by households and industries. Also to ensure the maintenance and expansion of transport infrastructure and promoting an orderly development of human settlement. (Poor utility infrastructure)

5. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTIVITY AND EMPLOYMENT

Improving quality of teaching and learning by increasing the equitable access to and participation of education at all levels. Also improving the access to health care and increasing the number of health Infrastructure. Promoting income generating opportunities for the poor and vulnerable,

Increasing and enhancing access to quality skills training and to financial and business development services. Facilitating access to micro credit to beneficiaries. (Poor educational infrastructure, poor accessibility to health care and low attention to the vulnerable)

6. TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE

To institutionalize district level planning and budgeting involving all stakeholders thorough a participatory process at all levels (Low participatory of local governance)

GENERAL KEY DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS/ ISSUES

Enumerated below are lists of community and development problems and issues identified in the Ga Central Municipality by cross section of stakeholders, as well as from the analyses of the existing development situation.

ENSURING AND SUSTAINING MACROECONOMIC STABILITY

1. Low value of properties

2. Inadequate of data on businesses

3. Low revenue mobilization

ENHANCING COMPETITIVENESS IN GHANA’S PRIVATE SECTOR

1. Disorganize informal sector

2. Inadequate land for large scale manufacturing industries and farming due to the activities of estate developers

3. Inadequate public transport and facilities

ACCELERATED AGRICULTURAL MODERNISATION AND SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

1. Inadequate forage for animals due to high rate of urbanization and estate development

2. Low productivity due to the use of inappropriate technology

3. Poor city greening

OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT

1. Inadequate data on the operation s of petroleum industry

2. Wrong siting of fuel stations

Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) play a very important role in the implementation of Development Plans. The extent to which the Municipal Medium term Development Plan (MTDP) will achieve its set goals and objectives depends, to a very large extent, on a well structured M&E framework that tracks the use of resources and ensures a high level of efficiency.

A separate detailed Monitoring and Evaluation Plan has been prepared to serve as a check and guide in the implementation of the MTDP.The purpose of the M& E Plan is for;

1. Tracking the use of resources in order to ensure prudent management and accountability so as to sustain the interest of all stakeholders in the plan.
   
2. Ensuring effective and efficient delivery of services to meet the intended needs of beneficiaries.
   
3. Evaluating the level of progress made in implementing the MTDP and its goals, objectives and targets.

The MPCU and all relevant implementing agencies will facilitate the management and administration of the projects. The MPCU will supervise, monitor, report and evaluate all activities and their impact and ensure the application of policies and procedures in this document.

During execution of projects, MPCU will ensure that required skills are hired at all levels and given the needed exposure to function.

The MPCU will warrant that potential beneficiaries are actively involved in all the stages of project development from identification, design, approval, and implementation to management. This is through custom made and systematic capacity building programmes using the participatory approach. By this approach potential beneficiaries (CBOs) are supported to articulate their needs and subsequently provided with the requisite training and technical backstopping to implement and manage the sub-project themselves. Consequently, this document will be given a yearly review.