Ama Kumi Richardson
The Sunyani Municipal Assembly in the Brong-Ahafo Region is worried it has not been able to meet its revenue targets set for 2017 despite measures put in place to improve revenue collection in the municipality.
It, however, said notwithstanding the assembly’s inability to meet revenue target for 2017, the assembly performed better than the previous year due to measures put in place to improve revenue collection. The assembly, during the last quarter of 2017, set up a revenue taskforce to monitor activities of revenue collectors and also reshuffled revenue staff at the assembly.
Addressing the members of the assembly during the First Ordinary Meeting of the Third Session of the Six Assembly on the performance of its internally generated fund for 2017 fiscal year, the Municipal Chief Executive for Sunyani, Ama Kumi Richardson, said revenues collected fell below set target of GH¢ 2, 254,205.46 by the end 2017.
“‘We were only able to collect GH¢1, 811,376.30 instead of GH¢2,254,205.46. This represented 80.36 percent. The formation of revenue taskforce during last quarter of 2017 boost our collection from GH¢1,570,040.29 to GH¢1,811,376.30 representing 69.65 percent after the taskforce thus able to collect the above figure though we still fell below our target,” she revealed.
Madam Richardson, however, believes that the taskforce is going to work hard by doubling its supervision “for us to meet this year’s target.”
On expenditure, she said within the same year, the assembly spent GH¢1,767, 552.89 of the projected figure of GH¢2, 254,205.46 representing 78.41 percent of projected expenditure.
Dwelling on 2018 target, Madam Richardson cited that the assembly projected to collect GH¢2, 360,913.87 by December 31, 2018.
She expressed her disappointment that at the end of first quarter of this year, the assembly was only able to collect GH¢373, 387.09 representing 15.82 percent for this quarter. This, she said, is far below the average percentage of 25 percent, urging members of the taskforce and the finance committee to seal all lope holes and leakages by intensifying their supervisory role over the revenue collectors.
Madam Richardson also revealed that the assembly has received its share of District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) for the first quarter of 2018, which stood GH¢223,734.09 and disability fund of GH¢139,068.09 and the MPs Common Fund of GH¢84, 66o.42.
Speaking on other areas of development, the MCE congratulated the police and Municipal Security Council for making sure there is peace in the municipality, adding that crime rate has also reduced drastically.
danielyaodayee@yahoo.com
FROM Daniel Y Dayee, Sunyani