The Tema Metropolitan Assembly raised 33.1 million cedis in internally generated funds by October 2025, representing 74.10 percent of its 37.70 million cedi revenue target despite significant delays in central government grant releases. Metropolitan Chief Executive Ebi Bright disclosed this at the Assembly’s ordinary meeting on December 19, noting that the performance reflected steady local revenue mobilization amid fiscal constraints affecting metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies nationwide.
Bright said the Assembly however recorded only 34.44 percent of expected grant inflows, receiving 21.33 million cedis out of a projected 53.79 million cedis. She attributed the shortfall largely to delays in central government releases, a situation she said continued affecting MMDAs across Ghana. The revenue gap highlights ongoing challenges facing local government entities dependent on transfers from the District Assemblies Common Fund and other statutory allocations administered by central authorities.
The MCE described revenue as the backbone of local governance, stressing that without strong internally generated funds the Assembly would struggle to deliver services, maintain infrastructure and pursue development projects. We cannot build our development agenda on resources we do not control as what we can control is what we collect ourselves according to Bright, underscoring the need to strengthen IGF mobilization strategies.
She noted that revenue collection was further constrained by the absence of a comprehensive and verified database of properties, businesses, billboards and other revenue sources within the metropolis. How can we measure leakage when we do not know what 100 percent looks like, she asked, adding that incomplete data made it difficult to set realistic targets and hold revenue collectors accountable for performance.
Bright said addressing this gap would be a top priority in the Assembly’s 2026 agenda, describing comprehensive data collection as critical to effective governance across TMA’s 56.5 square kilometers. She also cautioned businesses and companies operating within the metropolis to honor their financial obligations to the Assembly, assuring that enforcement would be firm but fair with engagement preceding any sanctions.
As part of efforts to improve efficiency and accountability, Bright announced plans for a full digital records management transformation under the 2026 Annual Action Plan. She said the initiative would include scanning and indexing historical records, deploying an enterprise document management system and establishing digital administrative workflows to enhance operational transparency.
Cloud backup and disaster recovery systems would also be introduced to safeguard institutional memory and reduce reliance on manual filing systems prone to damage, loss or misplacement. Bright disclosed that the Assembly had already engaged the Public Records and Archives Administration Department to begin archiving physical documents, noting that digitization would significantly enhance operational efficiency and transparency while supporting better decision making.
The Tema Metropolitan Assembly covers Ghana’s industrial capital housing the country’s main seaport and numerous manufacturing companies. The metropolis has pursued various revenue enhancement initiatives in recent years including automated systems at transport terminals, property revaluation exercises and deployment of mobile payment platforms enabling citizens to settle bills conveniently without cash transactions.
