Alhaji Mohammed Kwaku Doku, MCE
The Asunafo North Municipal Assembly in the Brong Ahafo Region mobilised GH¢944,074 as internally generated funds (IGF) in 2015, indicating 67% growth over the estimated revenue target of GH¢563,802.
The development was largely due to the availability of a database system that captures most businesses and households, and a vigorous mobilisation exercise by revenue collectors superintended by an eagle-eyed administration in the Municipality to foil revenue leakages.
The remarkable IGF growth in the Municipality has stimulated the authorities there to redouble their efforts to expand the scope of revenue mobilisation by targetting more of those outside the parameters of the revenue pool. This will help generate more to boost the development drive in the area, Alhaji Mohammed Kwaku Doku-MCE for Asunafo North told Business and Financial Times in an interview.
He said: “A district with wrong a database is far better than none; our database system might not be a perfect one but it has really helped us in planning, and measures are far advanced to review it so as to capture all uncovered ratable sources; such as new business establishments and households in all communities within the Municipality”.
The MCE further stated: “The assembly has declared war against under-invoicing and lackadaisical attitudes by revenue collectors. Any revenue collector who is unable to mobilise at least twice his/her monthly salary will not be fit for work as a revenue collector”.
The major source of revenue to the Asunafo North Municipal Assembly includes property rates; tolls from small businesses and petty traders, timber firms among others. The Municipality has Goaso as its capital while Mim, which plays host a number of timber firms, serves as the key industry town.
Meanwhile, the Asunafo North Municipal Assembly in 2014 and 2015 committed over GH¢4.2million into 26 different development projects. The majority of projects were infrastructural developments in areas like education, health, roads, rural electrification, water and sanitation among others.
The sources of funding to these projects were Common Fund, IGF, District Development Fund (DDF), and other external financial supports. Most of them [development projects] have been completed while the rest are at various levels of completion.
Touching on rural electrification, Mr. Doku said 60 communities are currently being worked on to be connected to the national grid, saying: “40 of these unserved rural communities have already been hooked-on. An additional 25 communities will be connected to the national grid immediately all the 60 are served”.
