Yankuba Colley, the lord mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), has revealed that his council’s budget for development projects for 2009 is projected at sixty million dalasi (D60, 000,000).

Mayor Colley made this revelation during an interview with the Daily Observer, at his office in Kanifing. According to him, the projects include the construction of new markets in Old Jeshwang, Abuko, and Manjai Kunda. They also include the reconstruction of the Serrekunda market, face-lifting of Tallinding and Latrikunda Sabiji markets and the construction of a senior secondary school at Charles Jow Memorial School in Bundung.

The mayor, who described 2009 as a year of development, said that 60% of the budget will go for development projects, and added that the project also seeks to improve the standard of Ebo Town and Tallinding Sicap market. “We also intend to do some water expansion projects and road rehabilitation in Ebo Town,” he said.

Serrekunda market features quite prominently in this year’s KMC budget; so, as the mayor indicated, the council intends to “change the face of the market to make it more beautiful.”

He added: “Looking at the market, it appears good but when you go inside it is a different reality. We want to make Serrekunda market look modern and more secure.” The KMC mayor also promised that his Council was looking into possibility of increasing the number of canteens in the market, with plans to separate the women vegetable sellers from others engaged in other businesses. All these, he noted, “Is being done with the intention of making the market more accessible.”

Commenting on the issue of cholera outbreak in Ebo Town, the KMC boss said that the council had tried, last year, to put an end to the outbreak. He said that improvement had been registered in that respect.  “Last year, our hands were tied so tight, as we were operating on a budget that we had found already prepared. But even at that, we were able to take on the challenge of constructing Tallinding Police Station and a building at Charles Jaw Memorial School,” he explained. The mayor however, acknowledged that it was not an easy task adding that most of the envisaged construction projects are expected to be completed before the July 22 celebrations.

“You see I don’t believe in saying let’s wait for tomorrow, I believe in executing immediately what has been planned. I think I need to apologise to the president, because I steal  his actions; when I heard him say this I quickly developed on it, especially his directions to develop the infrastructure,” Mayor Colley  pointed.

Tax payment
On the issue of tax payment, the mayor said: “My word to tax payers is that I don’t compromise with tax. Let them pay their tax. All these projects are coming because of tax payment; whether they know it or not KMC contributes to everybody’s life - the garbage collection that we are doing, some may say we haven’t reached their areas but that is due to the amount of refuge we collect on a daily basis. But that notwithstanding, we have been able to reduce the level of complaints in that regard. I want to see the KMC look like Hongkong, after my tenure of office,” Mayor Colley pointed.