Service and Commerce

Commercial activities within the Municipalityare tied to the outside markets of Tema, Accra, Kasei, Ashaiman, Agomenya and Kasoa. The fairly good nature of the roads in the area has resulted in good commercial linkages with these markets. The main commodities traded are; smoked fish, okro, palm nut and vegetables. A proportion of the women in the Municipality are also engaged in baking and its related activities. The service sector is also prominent in the Municipality. There exist business centres, small communication centres, photo shops, Drinking Spots, just to mention a few.

Energy

The Municipality is connected to the national grid and so has regular electricity supply. This has facilitated in the operation of a lot of businesses in the Municipality. The community also uses charcoal, kerosene, gas and firewood as their source of energy for cooking and its related activities. The fishermen in the area also use pre-mixed fuel for their fishing vessel. The Municipality also has the ASOGLI thermal plant which provides additional energy to its industries and the country as a whole. The VRA thermal plant is also in the Municipality as well as CEN power which is currently under construction. It is hoped that when it is completed it will boost the supply of electricity in the Municipality and the country as a whole. It is worth noting that some part of Kubekro does not have electricity and that the Assembly should support them with electricity extension.

Roads/Transportation

The Municipality is accessible and well connected to other towns. Apart from the major roads within the Municipality that are tarred most of the road networks are untarred. Surface condition of roads in most of the areas can therefore be described as dusty, rough, bumpy and sometimes very muddy during the rainy season especially at areas where there are no drains. This means that, there is the need to construct drains in such areas (Gbetsile, Kakasunanka, Bethlehem, Zenu, Santeo, Seduase and Katamanso, Apolonia etc.) to make them easily accessible when it rains.

The TOR road connecting to Kpone is in a deplorable state and needs to be reconstructed. It is worth mentioning that, due to the presence of industries and the deplorable nature of the road, there is constantly traffic on this same road (TOR Kpone). Expanding the road as well as repairing it could ease the problem. Even though major roads like the Oyibi-Katamanso Road, Appolonia-Okushibiri road, and Nii Afotey Agbo road are tarred, other untarred roads in the Municipality should be given a facelift to reduce the rate at which the road is deteriorating as well as the breakdown of vehicles on the roads. The mode of transporting goods and services in the Municipality is mainly by road. This compounds the rate at which roads deteriorate in the Municipality because the capacities of vehicles that ply these roads are usually higher than the capacity of the roads. Hence in upgrading the roads, the type of vehicle that ply the road should be considered so as to give a very strong surfacing that will last very long.

There are private and commercial transport systems operating in the Municipality including, a web of taxi services that are available on a 24-hour basis. Heavy-duty trucks and Lorries also come from all over the country carting goods to and from the harbour and the industries in Kpone.

The commercial transport systems available in the Municipality can be grouped into four; these are Bus, Trotro, shared taxi, and hired services. One major problem facing the transport system in the Municipality is the lack of well-developed lorry stations and bus terminals. It is anticipated that, the Assembly will promote Public Private Partnerships to arrest these problems.

It worth mentioning that currently the government of Ghana is constructing a rail way from Tema to Akosombo. It is an 84km railway project that is expected to be completed in 3 years. The rail line passes through some communities within the municipality. This we envisage will contribute to economic development of the Municipality.

Inland Port

The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) as part of decongesting the Port is building an inland port in Kpone the capital city of the Municipality. Currently, they are preparing the grounds to take off. It will be a well-organized container terminal that will create employment opportunities (both directly and indirectly) for the youth, the community and the Municipality at large. GPHA has agreed to improve the road network into a dual carriage from the terminal to the Kpone barrier but management is still dialoguing with them to improve the road network from the Kpone Barrier to Kpone Township. Traffic on this route will be minimized if the road is improved as agreed. This project will not only bring employment to the people, the Assembly will also generate revenue from it to aid them in their development. Their activities would also attract social corporate responsibility (ies) that would help the Assembly in developing the Municipality.

With regards to lorry stations and markets, all project proposals should come with provision for toilet facilities before the proposal is considered. Also as a new Municipality, efforts should be geared towards the prevention of slum communities where sanitation is often a challenge.

The Municipality has a Kraal market and an emergency slaughter slab. Unfortunately the slaughter slab is challenged with requisite amenities to operate under hygienic condition. The condition at the slaughter slab does not encourage large patronage. In order to ensure that the place serve its intended purpose of establishment, there is the need to give it a face lift through renovation.

The Municipality has a Kraal market and an emergency slaughter slab. Unfortunately the slaughter slab is challenged with requisite amenities to operate under hygienic condition. The condition at the slaughter slab does not encourage large patronage. In order to ensure that the place serve its intended purpose of establishment, there is the need to give it a face lift through renovation.

Electricity

About 85% of communities in the Municipality have access to electricity. Notwithstanding this, there is the need to extend electricity to some part of Zenu, Katamanso, Nanoman, Saduase and Santeo in the Municipality.

Most streets in the Municipality do not have street lights and this has implications for doing business in the night and also undermines security in the Municipality. There is the need therefore to provide street lights in communities that do not have and also maintain broken down ones in the Municipality as well as providing light at vantage points. Residents through the Area Councils should be encouraged to procure and fix street lights in their neighbourhoods to promote security.

Markets and Lorry Parks

The Municipality has five functional market centres with developing Lorry Parks to augment trading activities and these are the Zenu market, Timber market, Kpone, Washington and the Katamanso (Timber) markets. Apart from the Kpone market that is managed by the Assembly, the rest of the markets are managed by individuals and associations. The Assembly is working hard to take over the management of these markets since it plays a vital role in the development of the local economy. The Assembly currently has no oversight responsibility of any of the Lorry parks.