The newly confirmed Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) for the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA), Mr. George Justice Arthur, has pledged to collaborate with the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cape Coast South, Mr. George Kwaku Ricketts-Hagan, to establish an ultra-modern shoe and garment factory in the area.
According to him, the initiative is intended to create job opportunities for the youth and address the growing unemployment challenge, which he described as a threat to the security and stability of Cape Coast.
“Within three months we should see the factory coming up and it will be in a form of communal labour where the people themselves will be used to build the factory,” he stated.
In an exclusive interview with MyNewsGh.com reporter Hajia Asana Gordon, Mr. Arthur noted that Cape Coast currently lacks any significant manufacturing presence and cannot boast of even a single factory. He stressed the need to reverse this trend.
Mr. Arthur also announced plans to reintroduce the ‘Town Council’ programme, which will empower sanitation guards to enforce strict environmental regulations and penalize those who dispose of waste indiscriminately.
“We want to come out with a proposal or a programme called ‘Operation Make Cape Coast the Cleanest City in Ghana’ because I’m bringing back Town Council.
“They will go round and visit homes as well to check, and if people dump inappropriately, they will deal with them,” he said.
Touching on revenue generation, the MCE expressed concern about the widespread non-compliance with building permit regulations.
“If I’m not mistaken, about thousands of houses are not paying property tax and are being built without permits, meanwhile property tax can generate huge revenue for the assembly,” he lamented.
Mr. Arthur emphasized his commitment to inclusive governance, stating that he intends to bring relevant stakeholders, institutional heads, the media, and assembly members together to share ideas on how to restore the pride and development of Cape Coast.
