Kumasi, Jan. 29, GNA - The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has identified 100,000 additional rateable properties in the metropolis which were hitherto, not in its books.

This was as a result of the street naming and code numbering exercise currently going on in the metropolis.

Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah, Metropolitan Chief Executive, announced this at a press briefing on the street naming project in Kumasi on Wednesday. He said the street naming project was part of a bigger process of identifying all properties in the metropolis.

It was also to ensure easier courier services, make movement easier for tourists and boost business activities in the city.

Mr Jumah said the city had been zoned into four colours - blue, red, green and black - while each town in the city had been allotted zip codes.

He said the assembly had been able to identify the boundaries of the city and was in the process of developing a digitised road map for the metropolis.

Mr Jumah announced that the assembly would soon embark on an exercise to pull down all bills and signboards at various street junctions and direct the owners to apply to the assembly for standardised and uniform ones.

The aim, he said, was to improve the general street infrastructure in the city.

Mr Jumah said the street naming exercise was also to reward modern day community spirited persons and heroes of the city to serve as a reminder to the youth to be committed to the development of their various communities.

Professor Kwame Arhin, Chairman of the Street Naming Committee, said the committee had completed the first batch of the exercise, which was the naming of streets after prominent Asante personalities and events as a means of re-enacting the history of Ashanti by virtue of the street names.

He said the committee would consider applications from individuals and corporate bodies wishing to have streets in Kumasi named after them. Professor Arhin indicated that fees charged for streets would vary from suburb to suburb.