Kumasi, Aug 5, GNA - The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has began negotiations with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FMC) to explore an opportunity of forming alliance with some of the municipal councils in Canada.

The project, when it becomes successful, would enable the KMA to benefit from exchange and capacity building programmes from the aligned municipality in Canada, to strengthen its key departments and sub-structures in the administration and management of the city.

The current negotiations followed the recent visit to Canada by the Metro Chief Executive, Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah, at the invitation of FCM.

Miss Edith Gingras, Programme Officer of FCM, in-charge of Africa, on Tuesday met the KMA Chief Executive, heads of departments, sub-metro chairmen, convenors of sub-committees and town council chairmen to brief them on how the FCM worked and the benefit that could be derived from the possible alliance.

Miss Gingras said the programmes would build capacities of national, regional and municipal government to support policy development focuses on the emerging urban areas in African societies. She said the goal was to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life and sustainability of local communities in selected countries.