Assemblies urged to engage private companies in revenue collection

Kumasi, Jan. 1, GNA- A proposal has been made to district assemblies to take a critical look at their revenue collection, with the view to engaging private revenue collection companies in order to maximise revenue.

Mr Opoku Agyemang Prempeh, Managing Director of Lakayana Company, a private debt and revenue collecting company, said private companies have the requisite manpower reach out to all taxable organisations, individuals and businesses, to collect the required revenue.

Mr Prempeh was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi on measures that could be adopted by district assemblies to enhance their revenue collection on Thursday.

He explained that most district assemblies are unable to generate adequate revenue internally, not just because of the lukewarm attitude of the revenue collectors, but because of lack of proper supervision to reach out to all taxable individuals and businesses.

Mr Prempeh attributed the wrong perception by some people in the districts that the district assemblies "do nothing meaningful with the rates and levies collected from them, to the communication gap existing between the assembly and the electorate".

He, therefore, advised assembly members not to only take interest in attending meetings, but also interact with the electorates to keep them well informed about programmes, plans and activities of the district assemblies.