Assembly holds stakeholders’ forum on revenue generation

A stakeholders’ forum on internal revenue generation and its utilization has been held at Obuasi, aimed at enhancing revenue mobilization and its judicious use by the Municipal Assembly.

Over 40 identifiable groups including AngloGold Ashanti (AGA), subsidiary mining and construction companies, commercial and banking institutions attended the forum which was also aimed at encouraging public participation in the Assembly’s revenue generation efforts.

Mr John Alexander Kobina Ackon, Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) noted that the forum was important because consultations were a key ingredient in local governance.

He announced that the Assembly had since 2004 received a total of GH¢3,831,276.23 as its share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), which had been used for various developmental projects.

The projects included the construction and rehabilitation of a number of markets, assembly offices, schools and the improvement of streetlights.

The MCE said Obuasi needed to be marketed since there was a growing trend in the formation of sister-city relations. “We are exploiting many of such relations for the betterment of Obuasi”, he added.

Mr Ackon said the Assembly was faced with a number of challenges in its efforts to get the Municipality properly developed, citing waste management, poor road network, inadequate educational and health facilities as some of the challenges.

Mr Isaac Appiah-Nsiah, the Municipal Budget Analyst, explained the internal and external sources of revenue for the Assembly and added that “an approved budget estimate is the basic authority for incurring expenditure”.

He said mineral royalties constituted one of the key external sources of revenue and that the Assembly had since 2004 had a total of GH¢766,931.

Out of the amount, the Assembly had spent GH¢63,200 on scholarships for 482 students, while a number of development projects had been undertaken to improve the lot of the people.

Source: GNA