The Bole District Assembly has adopted new strategies to improve its revenue mobilization.
The Assembly according to the District Chief Executive, Madam Veronica Alele Heming, is struggling to undertake social projects as it is unable to meet its internally generated fund targets.
The District is known for the production of varied food crops, however, the Assembly is unable to mobilize enough revenue from the numerous vibrant market centres, business entities and residents.
She made these revelations on June 22, 2022, when the Assembly held its first ordinary general meeting of the third session of the eighth Assembly.
As at the end of the first quarter, the Assembly was only able to accrued GHC 97, 0077.00 out of the GhC380,000.01 targeted for the year.
The District Chief Executive, Veronica Alele, lamented the development has crippled the Assembly’s ability to deliver on its responsibilities and undertake projects.
The strategies, adopted by the Assembly would include the use of NCCE van for education and sensitization of the populace to honor their tax obligation.
They are also to revive revenue discussions on radio stations, intensify monitoring of revenue collectors and apply sanction where applicable,mount barriers at strategic positions in the District, train Area Councils and revenue collectors on their functions ,hold engagement with community and galamsay miners on the need to pay revenue to the Assembly, hire the services of Alhaji Nfa, chairman of cattle dealers association in the District to assist in the collection of cattle rate and empower the Internal Audit Unit to vet all revenue collectors before and after payments are effected at the bank.
The strategies, authorities noted forms part of the broader vision of the Assembly to leverage on its strength in the realization and application of funds for its development projects.
She explained that it was necessary for the Assembly to adopt prudent measures to improve revenue collection and utilization.
The Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies have been empowered by law thus Local Government Act 936 of 2016 to mobilize, manage revenues in funding their operations.
Unfortunately, many of these Assemblies across the country have been struggling to identify sustainable sources of revenue and how to collect them in order to actualize this legal directive, but Bole District wants to stand out in this revenue mobilization challenge.
Assemblies are given three main revenue sources, thus locally generated revenues (traditional), central government transfers including common fund, and donor funding support (aid).
All these three sources mentioned above, are being explored by authorities manning the Assembly to improve revenue generation.
She asked revenue collectors of the assembly to do more to improve their performance.
She said they should step up their efforts to aid the assembly to achieve its revenue target from traditional sources to fund development programmes.
She said the Assembly could not afford to depend on its share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) for implementation of its development agenda, since the releases had been irregular.
The DCE equally addressed the Assembly Members on other areas of development ranging from education, sanitation, security, agriculture, health, water, electricity, infrastructure, trade and industry among others and reiterated the need for citizens to take interest in all developmental initiatives of the District.
Source: yagbonradioonline
