Assemblies to be sanctioned if ....., Minister

Techiman (Brong Ahafo), 19 Feb. '99 -

Mr Donald Adabre, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, said yesterday that the Regional Co-ordinating Council will institute punitive measures against district assemblies which become laxed in their revenue generation. He said the existence of the Common Fund has undermined local revenue generation efforts of some assemblies in the region and that the RCC was determined to introduce appropriate sanctions. "The Common Fund is meant to supplement efforts of assemblies so the RCC will monitor revenue collection performance of all assemblies and take measures against the defaulting ones", he cautioned.

Mr Adabre was addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of Techiman at yesterday as part of a familiarisation tour of the district. He expressed displeasure at the increasing tendency of the communities placing all their developmental obligations at the doorstep of their district assemblies. Mr Adabre said no district assembly could single-handedly provide the developmental needs of its people and appealed to chiefs and communities to complement the efforts of the assemblies by initiating their own projects.

He expressed apprehension over the ''environmental degradation in the region and urged district assemblies, chiefs, individuals and organisations to emulate the Techiman Tree Farmers Association which is involved in an afforestation project along the banks of the river Tano which serves as a source of drinking water for numerous communities in the region. The Deputy Regional Minister, Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam who is also Member of Parliament for Techiman south said, he would use his share of MPs fund to finance boreholes for six communities in his constituency. The Krontihene of the Techiman Traditional Area, Nana Opoku Abankwa the second, appealed to the Minister to help resolve the Tano-Subin chieftaincy dispute involving the elevation of certain towns to paramountcies by the Asantehene once and for all in the interest of peace. GRi.../