Tema: As of June 2025, the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has collected only 36 percent of its estimated internally generated fund (IGF) of GHS 37.6 million for the year. Ms. Ebi Bright, the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, revealed this in her first sessional address during a general assembly meeting.
According to Ghana News Agency, Ms. Bright disclosed that by March this year, the assembly had collected only GHS 5 million, representing a mere 13.6 percent. However, by June, they had reached GHS 13.5 million, which is 36 percent of the annual target. She emphasized the improvement as a result of focused effort and commended the Metropolitan Finance Officer, Madam Akua Bonsu-Owu, for her contributions to enhancing revenue collection.
Ms. Bright also praised other departments for their hard work in overcoming TMA's revenue generation and collection challenges. She highlighted the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government's commitment to decentralization, noting a significant increase in the District Assemblies Common Fund allocation, which has risen to GHS 28.6 million from a mere GHS 2,875,000 in previous years.
She mentioned that only 20.4 percent of the assembly's 2025 budget is allocated to capital investment, still below the 30 percent target she envisioned. Ms. Bright described the challenges of multi-year project implementation without adequate funding, with numerous uncompleted projects and deteriorating basic infrastructure, including roads, drains, sewage systems, and streetlights.
Ms. Bright assured that their internally generated funds would increase tenfold during her tenure through strategic measures. She emphasized the need for digitization of payment points to eliminate cash leakages, noting that the TMA currently collects only 10-30 percent of sewer fees due. She identified the lack of effective tracking systems as a significant revenue leakage issue, with an estimated 40 percent of revenue being lost.
To address these challenges, Ms. Bright announced plans to identify new revenue streams like tolls and parking fees for haulage trucks. She also mentioned transforming the city's markets into revenue-generating assets through partnerships with investors, with interest already expressed by businesses from Turkey, China, the Middle East, Africa, and the EU in redesigning and redeveloping the markets.
