Akatsi-North strategizes to increase IGF

The Akatsi North District Assembly has adopted new measures to increase internally generated revenue in 2016.

These include sensitization and awareness creation on tax and rates payment, improving accessibility to communities for increased economic activity and revenue collection, and providing the logistics to the revenue staff.

A software database on all properties and business entities would also be established to help track the payment of property rates, business bills and taxes and help block leakages.

Mr. James Gunu, DCE of the area, disclosing this at a meeting of the Assembly at Ave-Dakpa, announced that two weeks would be set aside in the year during which, all staff would go to the field for revenue collection and public awareness creation.

He announced that the Assembly in 2014 was able to collect GHC113,690.40 internally generated revenue (IGF) or 128.67 percent of the budgeted figure of GHC88,358.00, “despite the poor resourcefulness of our district compared to others”.

The DCE said out of the estimated revenue target of GHC104,300.00 for 2015; the Assembly managed to collect only GHC44,134.76 or 42.32 percent as at June, this year.

He announced a GHC5,687,614.79 budgetary estimates for the Assembly for 2016, including an IGF projection of GHC126,443.00 and other expected accruals to come from government and other development partners.

He said as revenue from government to the Assembly often delayed, IGF mobilization should be taken seriously to enable the Assembly to meet its commitments to the people.

Mr. Gunu announced that 22 communities had been slated to be hooked to the national power grid, while water and sanitation improvement was on course. Many roads and various infrastructure works were nearing completion.

Mr. Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, Member of Parliament for the Area, urged the Assembly members to quickly grasp the Local Government Act and the Assemblies Modus Standing Orders to enable them to make progressive debates in the interest of the electorate and also avoid unnecessary debate.