Hohoe District Assembly fails to achieve revenue targets

Hohoe, Aug. 16, GNA - The Hohoe District Assembly could only mobilise 310 million cedis from its internal sources, against a mid-year projection of 828 million cedis representing 38 per cent.

Mr John Peter Amewu, Hohoe District Chief Executive (DCE), who disclosed this during his maiden assembly session, described the revenue situation as appalling and called on members to suggest aggressive strategies to revamp revenue collection and mobilisation.

The Assembly additionally mobilised 2.3 billion cedis against a target of 6.1 billion cedis, as its year-to-date budget with fees and fines, investments and miscellaneous showing encouraging collection, while revenues from grants, rent, licences, lands and rates slumping. It made 885 million cedis as its year-to-date recurrent

expenditure, contrary to a target of 1.2 billion cedis it proposed, with all the expenditure sub-heads falling within set limits. Mr Amewu noted that by virtue of the strategic location of the District, couple with the rapid growing population of Hohoe town, there was always pressure on the Assembly to meet service provision.

"This is why we need to explore various avenues for expanding our revenue base, and plug all loopholes in the leakage of revenue," he said.

The DCE said a total net of 998 million cedis was received, as the first quarter allocation of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), with a remainder of about 3.7 billion cedis yet to be received. Mr Amewu announced that the District has benefited from a 960 million cedis fund from the Community-Based Rural Development Project (CBRDP) to fund development projects in deprived areas of the district over a three-year period.

It included the construction of a three-unit classroom, office and store at Tafi-Mador, extension of electricity to community health centres at Liati-Wote, Fodome-Woe, Akpafu-Adokor and Liati-Soba. Others are the construction of a two-kilometre access road to cassava farms at Tafi-Atome and conduct engineering studies on Wli Gravity Water System. 16 Aug. 05