Assembly urged to step up its revenue generation

Wulensi (N/R), Feb 04, GNA - The Nanumba South District Assembly last year received 5.5 billion cedis as its share of the District Assembly's Common Fund (DACF) while it collected 107.3 million cedis out of its revenue target of 158.3 million cedis during the period. The assembly's internally generated revenue of 107.3 million cedis fell short of its target of 151.3 million cedis, representing about 67.77 per cent of the set target.

Mr Thomas Donkor Ogajah, the District Chief Executive who announced this at the inaugural session of the assembly at Wulensi on Thursday, said even though the assembly was an infant one its revenue generation needed to be stepped up.

He urged the chiefs and people of the district to support the assembly in its revenue mobilisation drive by paying their taxes, saying: "The share of the DACF is tied to the size of the assembly's internally generated fund".

Mr Ogajah said he was aware of malpractices in the revenue collection machinery and assured the assembly that "steps are being taken to weed out the bad nuts".

Mr Ogajah said the assembly had so far implemented a number of projects including the repair of 15 boreholes in the communities, rehabilitation of a nutrition centre in Wulensi, office extension to accommodate the Departments of Agriculture and Community Development as well as the District Water and Sanitation Team.

Others are the acquisition of sanitary tools for the Environmental Health Unit, extension of electricity to Nakpayili Health Post, acquisition of 30 bicycles for distribution to volunteer teachers, Area Councils, Revenue Collectors and Environmental Health Staff and the rehabilitation of Junior Transit Quarters to house some of the staff. The assembly has also completed a community initiated accommodation facility for the police at Nakpayilli, a block of three classrooms each at Gimam and Kpalung in the "overseas" area, bought five Yamaha motorcycles for distribution to three Area Councils, the Environmental Health Division and the Revenue Mobilisation.

Additionally, the Assembly has completed temporary residencies for the District Chief Executive and the District Coordinating Director. Mr Ogajah said 400 students had so far benefited from the assembly's support while it had also assisted the security services to maintain peace in the district.

Mr Ogajah said the assembly was in the process of preparing a community-based Medium Term Development Plan that was a departure from the previous one. He said with this new system, the communities would come out with their action plans that would then be harmonized into Area and Town action plans and then into the District Medium Term Development Plan. Mr Ogajah said the Northern Region Poverty Reduction Programme (NORPREP) and UNICEF were supporting in the preparation of the Community Action Plans (CAPS).

He said a training programme had already been organised for stakeholders on the programme and officers were already in the field harmonising the CAPS and urged the assembly members to show interest in the preparation of the CAPS.

Mr Emmanuel Tidakbi, the Presiding Member, urged the assembly "to discuss issues dispassionately and avoid any partisanship in their deliberations".

He urged the Assembly Members to help mobilise their people to tackle sanitation, health, resource mobilization and peace to bring progress and development to the district.