The Kwahu East District and
the Effutu Municipal Assemblies have affirmed their determination, commitment
and dedication to plug loopholes and explore revenue sources to enable them
achieve revenue target for the 2019 fiscal year.
They are considering various
options that will enable them to increase Internally Generated Fund (IGF)
including robust revenue generation drive involving assembly members and
residents to support and assist to supplement other funds received for
execution of development projects.
The assemblies have initiated best practices in
revenue mobilisation using peer learning and experience sharing programmes and
activities as resource base and spring board in revenue mobilisation in their
respective areas.
John Ninson and Isaac Agyapong, Municipal
Chief Executive for Effutu and Kwahu East District made this known at a forum
in Winneba and Abetifi respectively.
They lamented over the situation where they were unable to meet their revenue targets for last year and hopeful that with such innovations they would be able to achieve targets for this year.
According to Mr Ninson, the
Netherlands government in collaboration with their Ghanaian counterpart had
embarked on a project dubbed: ‘Tax Revenue for Economic Enhancement(TREE)’ to
promote sustainable increase in IGF at the local level to finance projects and
improve services.
He disclosed that data collection was on-going,
however, residents were not cooperating enough and called on assembly members
to intensify sensitisation in their various communities to derive credible data
to enhance collection of revenue.
Mr Ninson further stated that works on selected projects have reached various stages of completion and hoped by their next meeting they would be completed under District Development Fund and the Assembly’s Common Fund.
He urged assembly members to continue to use their rich expertise to support and assist management of the Assembly to carry out its core duties of creating conducive environment for residents without hindrance.
For his part, Mr Agyapong entreated beneficiaries of funds from assemblies to invest in productive ventures to help uplift living standards and welfare and cautioned them against selling their tools.
He said the disbursed funds for start-ups, expansion and acquisition of businesses which forms part of the assembly’s share of the Common Fund and about 75 selected individuals benefited from the disbursement.
Mr Agyapong explained that selection of beneficiaries was transparent and strictly based on prescribed guidelines for projects to empower persons with disability economically, get them out of streets exposing themselves to traffic risks. –GNA
