Regional Minister cautions Assemblies on expenditure

Bawku (Upper East) 15th June '99

Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper East Regional Minister, has advised District Assemblies to spend a greater percentage of their locally generated revenue on capital projects rather than recurrent expenditure.

He told the third ordinary meeting of the Bawku East District Assembly at Bawku that assembly members should ensure that revenue collection is adequately strengthened for the assembly's effective functioning.

The Regional Minister expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Assembly whose total revenue collection for 1998 stood at 473.8 million cedis as against an estimated target of 353.7 million cedis.

He noted, however, that a critical look at the Assembly's monthly trial balance "gives a disconcerting impression. For instance, 49.1 million cedis representing 10.3 per cent the total in 1998, was spent on capital expenditure.

The implication is that almost 90 per cent of the revenue for that year were spent on recurrent expenditure, which he said, was not good enough.

''Proof of your Assembly's performance is not only measured by the amount of money you generate, but on your ability to provide your people with basic social facilities with the monies collected,'' he declared.