Assemblies urged improve on revenue collection

Mr Eric Opoku, Ashanti Regional Minister, has urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to do more to enhance their revenue generation performance.

He said they need to fine-tune their revenue collection machinery to help them achieve their set targets.

He said this in an address read for him at the general meeting of the Asokore-Mampong Municipal Assembly.

The Assembly had targeted GH¢129,793.30 in internally-generated funds between July and December, last year, but managed to collect GH¢83,139.80, representing 64.05 per cent.

As at the close of April, 2013, it had mobilized GH¢115,504.10 out of the year’s total of GH¢512,000.00 and this is 22.6 per cent.

Mr Opoku asked the Assembly to seriously consider the recommendations contained in its Executive Committee Report to remove existing bottlenecks.

He also underlined the need to enforce sanitation bye-laws to keep the municipality clean.

He said rather than having to clean up the mess everyday, there should be a legislated ban on littering.

“The Zoomlion personnel work every morning, yet the impact on environmental cleanliness has not been felt. It calls for extra effort at enforcement by sanitation guards and environmental health officers.”

The Regional Minister made reference to recent incidents of violent crimes in Kumasi and called for collaborative effort to assure public safety and security.

“Security in our homes, workplaces, on the roads and in the streets should be the responsibility of everybody, even if it means just offering information that will lead to the prevention and punishment of crime.”

He used the occasion to praise the police for the good job they are doing to protect life and property.

The Assembly was carved out of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and officially inaugurated in June 2012.

Source: GNA