Accra, Jan. 21, GNA - The Presidency has tasked the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) to ensure that the Street Naming and House Numbering exercise takes off smoothly this year. The exercise, which is under the Urban Management Land Information System (UMLIS), is expected to help revenue collecting agencies to efficiently collect land rents and other fees.

Mr Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, Deputy Minister of MLGRD, made the disclosure on Thursday at a stakeholders' seminar on the project in Accra.

He noted that absence of effective revenue collection system reduced the capacity of the assemblies to develop and provide services to the citizens.

"In view of this the objective of the UMLIS project is to produce an electronic land information database on properties and infrastructure for the improvement of revenue mobilisation and increase in economic development activities for the benefit of the citizenry," Mr Afriyie-Ankrah.

Another important objective of the project, which is being financed by the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (SIDA) and the Government of Ghana, is to strengthen the capacity building of local authorities involved in the project.

"I want to assure you that with the full scale implementation of UMLIS, the over dependence or mere dependence of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies on central government for financial support for their programmes and activities would be a thing of the past," he said.

He said increased revenue mobilisation would help local authorities to be "self-supporting" and make it easier for them to improve waste management, utility services and other operations within the localities. "It is also possible that through higher revenue generation, the living conditions of the people in various communities would improve and lead to reduction in corruption."

Mr Afriyie-Ankrah at a meet the press series organised by the ministry told the Ghana News Agency on July 23, 2009 that government had embarked on the UMLIS pilot project to demarcate and number streets in the metropolis for easy identification.

He said an individual could easily locate places across the country with just a click on the phone by the help of the global positioning satellite under the UMLIS. He commended development partners such as Swedesurvey, land sector agencies, GeoTech Systems, SIDA and other stakeholders for their support and contributions to the project.

In a speech read on his behalf, Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, said the seminar was to find ways of seeking more funding for the project.