Traders asked not to cheat in payment of revenue

Mr Frank Yeboah, Deputy Director of Shama District Assembly has advised traders not to encourage revenue collectors to cheat the assembly by exchanging money with wares or reducing the approved levy they are supposed to pay.

He said the practice is not only fraudulent which is punishable by law but also adversely affect development. Mr Yeboah gave the advice when senior officials of the assembly interacted with the executive members of the Beposo Market Traders Association at Shama.

The interaction was organised by Mrs Victoria Araba Dennis, Service Provider for the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) over the congestion and insanitary conditions in the market.

Mr Yeboah said although the assembly is planning to decongest the market and address the insanitary conditions there, the traders must also adhere to cleanliness in order not to make the effort in vain.

The traders led by their market queen Mrs Mabel Woode, appealed for the relocation of the market in order for them to have spacious place for business. They also called for strict supervision of projects under construction in the market to avoid fraudulent deals by contractors.

Mr Vincent Mawuli Wordi, District Budget Analyst, appealed to the traders to insist on taking tickets from toll collectors after paying their levies to enable the Assembly to generate revenue for development.

He said revenue generated from markets in the District from January and September was GH¢12, 516.40. Out of the figure Beposo market generated GH¢8, 135.60, representing 65 per cent.

Mr Wordi expressed regret that revenue fell below target as GH¢18, 000 was collected from traders within the same period in 2012. He said the Assembly had taken stringent measures such as recruitment of collectors to assist in stepping up revenue generation.