The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has launched the first phase of the computerisation and networking of the Town and Country Planning Department and other development control and management sections of the assembly in Kumasi.
The 110 million cedis' project, funded by the City of Almere in the Netherlands, involves the installation of five computers, two printers and their accessories, networking of the offices of the department with a central processing unit and the installation of customised development control and management programme.
It aims at reducing some of the planning and management problems in the city and to fast-track development application and management process of the assembly.
The launch of the project coincided with the visit of the Mayor of Almere, Mrs Annemarie Jorritsina and a delegation of the City of Almere to Kumasi.
Mr Asiedu Poku, Kumasi Metropolitan Director of Town and Country Planning, said the project fits into the government's information communication and technology agenda.
He said the project would also solve some of the human resource capacity development problems of the country and the Town and Country Planning Department in particular which was experiencing the attrition of its human resources over the years.
Mr Poku said the department had put in adequate preparation to ensure the sustainability of the project ant that some members of staff were currently under training to handle the project.
Mrs Jorritsina called for the implementation of a sustainable planning system in the city to prevent haphazard citing of buildings.
She said she was delighted that the assembly had decided to embark on tree planting programme to beautify the city and bring it back to its former status as the "garden city of West Africa".
Mrs Jorritsina said the City of Almere would continue to assist KMA in its developmental efforts.