The Gomoa West District Assembly has commence arrangement with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to collect property rates on its behalf to help generate enough funds to supplement its share of the District Assembly Common Fund for continuous progress, growth and development.
The decision is in accordance with the National Budget Estimates and Appropriation Act 2022, directing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to cede the collection of property rate to GRA, and the details about the arrangement is expected to be communicated to them in due course.
On the performance of its Internally Generated Funds (IGF), the Assembly in 2021 budgeted GH¢803, 144.71 and collected GH¢664, 279.90 by August that year, representing 82.71 per cent compared to its 2022 estimated IGF of GH¢850, 000.00 of which GH¢516, 207.15 representing 60.73 per cent had been collected by August.
Bismark Nkum, Gomoa West District Chief Executive, hinted in an address at the Assembly’s meeting at Apam which covered modest achievements in the last five months, challenges and way forward and enabled approval of Executive Committee’s recommendation including its Composite Budget, Fee Fixing Resolution and Action Plan for 2023 to be used as working document.
He bemoaned declination of revenue generation as a result, the assembly had to strategise in collection of IGF to supplement the Common Fund and others for developmental projects in the district and appealed to members of the Assembly to continue to educate, sensitise and create awareness in their communities to honour their tax obligations.
On its achievements, Mr Nkum revealed that the Agriculture sector was doing well and 6,220 farmers made up of 4,115 males and 2,105 females harvested their crops with good yields in the major farming season and first quarter of the year, schooled 1,650 farmers on the Planting for Food and Jobs module.
“Under the Planning for Export and Rural Development, the Assembly is on course to achieving its target of distributing 1,000,000 improved seedlings to farmers within 10 years, in addition, a total of 37,000 improved certified seedlings supplied to farmers in last five months aimed at helping beneficiary farmers to promote rural economic growth and improve household income.
