Metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) should invest in tourist attractions to increase their internally generated funds (IGF) and reduce their reliance on central government support, Parliament’s Ranking Member of the Committee on Local Government and Rural Development has said.

Alexander Akwasi Acquah said assemblies received substantial financial allocations from the government and should use part of that money to develop tourism and other income-generating projects.

“It is important you put some of the money into some income-generating activities to promote tourism, which is a very big area that develops and rakes in a lot of money,” he said.

Mr Acquah was speaking at a public hearing in Parliament last Wednesday, where he encouraged assemblies to identify commercially viable projects and find ways to generate income from attractions in their areas.

He said local authorities needed to think beyond their existing financial limitations instead of depending solely on national government funding, which also had numerous responsibilities.

“Now you have a lot of money that comes to you, and you can even do public-private partnerships by finding somebody who can develop the tourist attraction to help you rake in some more money,” he said.

Call to develop Sissala West attractions

Mr Acquah made the comments while questioning the Chief Executive of the Sissala West District, Abudu Fuseini Gbene, and other assembly officials about efforts to promote tourism and raise funds locally.

He asked why the district had not made greater investment in developing and maintaining its tourist sites to attract visitors and create additional revenue.

“When I have travelled to come and see the grave of the former President, I will eat and I will definitely sleep,” he said.

Mr Acquah said the district should take advantage of its connection to Ghana’s third President, who had insisted that his body be returned there after his death.

“It is not for nothing that Ghana’s third President came from this place, and insisted that his body be brought back home after his death. So, let us make the most of this legacy.

“Ghana benefitted from his leadership while he was alive, and your district must also benefit from his legacy now that he is gone,” he added.

He urged the assembly to explore alternative funding arrangements, including partnerships capable of attracting private capital to improve the sites.

Limited resources blamed

Responding, Mr Gbene said Sissala West District was among the tourist destinations in the Upper West Region. He identified the Golu Slave Defence Wall and the tomb of Dr Hilla Limann, former President of the Third Republic of Ghana, as nationally recognised attractions.

The DCE said private developers had recently visited the district to assess projects under Agenda 111. During that visit, he presented proposals covering other areas of development, including tourism.

“I personally took him to the Golu Slave Defence Wall, the tomb of Dr Limann and other sectors.

“And since then, the engagement with those developers has intensified, and I am very convinced that something will come out of it,” he said.

Asked why the sites had not been developed to generate more income, Mr Gbene attributed the situation to limited resources. He said tourism was an area that required greater attention from both the district and the national government.