Wa, Sept. 24, GNA - Municipal and District Assemblies in Upper West Region are contributing GH¢32,525 each towards the construction of an Upper West Regional Hospital that has been on the drawing board for decades.

This is the outcome of a meeting between Mr George Hikah Benson, Upper West Regional Minister and Municipal and District Chief Executives to facilitate construction of the hospital. About GH¢292,725 has so far been realised towards the project expected to begin by the end of September.

Mr Abdul-Aziz Mohammed, Wa Municipal Chief Executive announced this at the second ordinary meeting of the assembly at Wa. He urged the assembly members to take keen interest in the project and ensure that their assemblies contributed their quota towards the project.

Mr Mohammed said European Development Fund under its micro projects programme had earmarked GH¢117,306 for the construction of two rural clinics and sanitation facilities in the municipality. On revenue mobilization, he said a syndicate of revenue collectors had been misappropriating funds through under invoicing and under declaration of revenue returns.

Mr Mohammed said to address the situation, a committee had been established to investigate and review revenue mobilisation and institute measures to improve revenue collection.

He regretted that out of a revenue target of GH¢168,206 for this year, only GH¢79,145 was realised by the end of July. Mr Iddrisu Adams, Presiding Member said the National Secretariat of Association of Local Authorities of Ghana had initiated a programme to procure motorbikes for assembly members in the country. He announced that the assembly had decided to use part of its share of the Assemblies Common Fund to pay for the motorbikes for members and details were being worked out.

On Election 2008, Mr Adams said assembly members had the responsibility to educate the electorate in their communities to ensure a peaceful, free and fair election.