The Mfantseman District Assembly has held a consultative forum on its fee fixing resolution for 2008 fiscal year. The forum, the first of its kind to be held by the Assembly, brought traders associations, artisans and other identifiable groups, the Assembly and some opinion leaders together to discuss proposed fees on goods and services for the 2008 fiscal year. Opening the discussion, Nana Attapim Kweenu VIII, Presiding Member, said the Assembly had departed from the previous mode of determining fees payable by commercial operators and property owners and was now involving many stakeholders to facilitate better understanding to enhance prompt payment. Nana Kweenu, who is also the Chief of Woraba near Cape Coast and the Mankrado of the Nkusukum Traditional Area, said by involving a larger number of people in the fee-fixing resolution the Assembly would be opened up to the public. Mr Robert Quainoo-Arthur, District Chief Executive (DCE), said the elevation of the Assembly to Municipal Status entailed a lot of commitments involving money. The DCE noted that the elevation would not bring any transformation into the life styles of the people unless they took their destiny into their own hands. "We cannot make any progress if we do not pay our fees and taxes," he stated and reminded the forum that Municipal Status goes with challenges, which must be met at all cost. Mr Quainoo-Arthur appealed to the leadership of various commercial groups and social associations to help the Assembly in collecting the fees they had helped to fix. The participants commended the Assembly for not imposing the fees on them this time but involving them. Source: GNA