Ten revenue collectors in Kwahu West suspended

Nkawkaw, Oct. 30, GNA - The Kwahu-West Municipal Assembly has suspended, indefinitely, 10 of its revenue collectors for financial malpractices, which has affected revenue mobilization in the municipality.

The malpractices include failure of rate payers to meet their tax obligation, leakages in revenue mobilization and deliberate attempt by some collectors to create shortages by using several unorthodox methods. The Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Alex Somuah- Obeng, announced this at the third meeting of the fourth session of the assembly at Nkawkaw, on Friday.

The names of the revenue collectors are, however, being withheld for security reasons to enable the police to complete their investigations.

He said the suspended collectors would be forced to refund the amount embezzled after the police complete their investigations. Mr Obeng said the activities of revenue collectors in the municipality had undermined the efforts of a private company contracted by the assembly to assist to mobilize Internally Generated Funds, leading to a poor performance.

He said the assembly was, however, able to mobilize GH¢387,125.83 from its IGF by the end of September this year, out of an estimated annual revenue of GH¢453,439.36. This represents 85 percent. The Member of Parliament for Nkawkaw, Mr Seth Adjei-Baah, said though the four-year term of the assembly members had ended they should continue to offer valuable services to the assembly and the communities. He promised to assist all former assembly members who wanted to contest the forth-coming district assembly elections with GH¢200 each.