Ablekuma North Municipal Assembly to improve revenue generation

The Ablekuma North Municipal Assembly has mapped out strategies to improve its revenue generation in 2019.

This is because despite the tremendous efforts made by the Finance and Administration sub-committee of the assembly and management, its revenue projections for 2018 were not met.

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Mr. Kofi Ofori stated this in Accra during the Second Ordinary Meeting of the assembly.

Some of the strategies included; the printing of the assembly’s own revenue bills, up-dating of the revenue database, engagement of some revenue collection firms, zoning the Municipality into revenue blocks and procurement of a 15-seater revenue mobilisation and sanitation bus.

Besides that, Mr. Ofori said, public education and other engagements for the citizens to appreciate the need to collectively support the newly created assembly to be financially strong to bring the much needed development to the assembly will be employed.

As at November 30, 2018 Mr. Ofori said, the assembly was able to collect Gh¢1,412,625.71 out of its projected Internally Generated Funds (IGF) of Gh¢4,569,085.00 representing 30.9 per cent.

The MCE said over the past eight months, the assembly was able to put in place the basic structures and systems to enable it move swiftly into 2019 with a renewed vigour and determination to pursue its development agenda.

Among the key intervention implemented Mr Ofori said, included provision of an eight-room temporary offices for department/units of the assembly, furniture and cabinets for officers, procurement of desktop and laptop computers and acquisition of printers, a projector, photocopiers and other office equipment.

In addition to the logistics and equipment procured to support officers in their work, the MCE said, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) had augmented the assembly’s fleet of vehicles with one 4x4 Nissan pick-up .

To support the assembly in ensuring its vision and objective of empowering the people and creating equal opportunities for all, Mr. Ofori stated that the assembly would vigorously pursue the setting up of two zonal councils at Kwashieman and Odorkor-Otaten-Sakaman.

A number of roads, he said were awarded on contract by the Ministry of Roads and Highways to ameliorate the poor road network and drains in the municipality.

The roads include; Tweneboah, Esuapim, Lotus, Cup Plate, Jato streets and Atto Maclean Avenue.

Mr. Ofori said, work on the desilting of the drain from Odorkor MTTD office to Dansoman junction was steadily progressing and would be completed very soon.

Regravelling and re-paving of some major roads in the municipality he said, would be done in the coming year.

On waste management, the MCE said the performance of the sole waste collection contractor in the Municipality, Asedu Company Limited had not lived up to expectation, and in view of that, the contract with the company was likely to be abrogated to enable the assembly enter into new ones that could offer improved services .