FOUR major towns in the country are to be elevated to municipal status, Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, has hinted.

They are Ho, Sunyani, Wa and Obuasi.

Speaking in an interview in Accra, Mr Baah-Wiredu said the elevation is in line with government policy aimed at raising the status of all regional capitals which are not metropolitan to municipal status. He explained that as in the case of Obuasi and Bawku which were made public last week, the criteria used was the level of development as well as the population.

Mr Baah-Wiredu said the Town and Country Planning Department and other relevant agencies are being consulted to team up with government to draw the layout of those areas which are to be elevated. The minister said some problems in those capitals which need to be cleared are poor sanitation, high crime wave, poor layout of structures, adding that there is the need to also ensure that there is peace.

Mr Baah-Wiredu said the constitution permits the President to elevate a regional capital to a municipal status as and when necessary and that will be done with the preparation of an Executive Instrument.

He said after that the sector ministry will have to prepare a Legislative Instrument (LI) for the approval of Parliament before it becomes legal. On the creation of more districts, Mr Baah-Wiredu said the government has received about 72 applications from various quarters of the country for consideration to the status of districts.

He said a local government committee has been formed within the ministry to consider the applications. Mr Baah-Wiredu admitted that after the elevation of some regional capitals into municipalities, it is obvious that more districts will have to be created. He mentioned, for instance, that some areas at Bawku and Obuasi which were recently elevated are sure areas to be considered for districts.