Kumasi, Mar 24, GNA - The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called on the government to ensure that more efficiency is brought into the tax collection system. He said this was necessary to aid the nation to generate enough revenue to enhance development.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu said this when the Mayor of the City of Almere in Netherlands, Mrs. Annemarie Lebbink Jorritsma, and a 12-member delegation paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace. Almere and Kumasi have been in twin-sister relations since 1996 and are cooperating in education, cultural and economic fields. The delegation is in Kumasi for a three-day visit and would use the opportunity to inspect projects and sign a new Memorandum of Understanding with the Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to define new areas of cooperation in the next two years.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu said he cherished the relationship between the two cities saying:" The fact that Asante culture and history were being taught in schools in Netherlands was heart-warming." He said he was confident that the relationship would be deepened. He asked them to work closely to identify for implementation, programmes that would help in the development of women and children. Mrs. Jorritsma said she was impressed by the development projects being undertaken in the Kumasi Metropolis.

She said they were of the firm conviction that education was the basis for development and through the partnership, they were determined to help provide more classrooms for school children.

She said they were also engaged in a pilot project on tax systems to help the KMA to improve on its property rate collection performance. Members of the delegation include Councillors and Micro-finance experts, who would meet with women organizations to assist in women empowerment. Earlier, the delegation called on the Regional Minister, Mr. Kofi Opoku Manu.