Bongo District Assembly cannot mobilize enough funds to meet needs

Bongo (UE), Sept 11,GNA-Civic Groups in the Bongo District have challenged the Bongo District Assembly to adopt pragmatic measures to rake in more Internal(ly) Generated Funds (IGF).

The Civic Groups made up of tailors, carpenters, traders, butchers, mechanics, hairdressers among others, made the call at a platform at Bongo organised by the Foundation of Grass Roots Africa.

The aim of the stakeholders meeting was to make the groups demand accountability from the Assembly and to also play their roles as expected of them as citizens of the area.

The Groups has been told by the District Planning Officer, Mr Adigun Akanpatulsi and the District Budget Officer that the Assembly was only able to make 27,393 Ghana Cedis IGF from January to June 2011.

The District Planning Officer told the participants that there was no way their District Assembly Common Fund could be increased if they continued to generate low IGF, stressing that one of the conditions set by the Ministry of Local Government for Rural

Development for the increment of DACF was determined by the level of IGF generated by the Assembly.

"Most People do not pay their property rates, particularly on animals such as cattle which many people reared in the area. There is therefore the urgent need for you to pay your taxes to enable us give you more development projects", Mr Akanpatulsi stressed.

He said the Assembly was initiating strategic means which would soon be implemented to ensure that people did not evade tax and entreated them to honour their task obligations.

Mr Seidu Soalihu, District Budget Officer, entreated the participants to demand receipts from revenue collectors after they have paid their revenue and to report any revenue collector to the assembly who engages in malpractices.

He stated senior revenue collectors would soon be trained on revenue mobilization techniques and provide them motorbikes to monitor revenue collectors, adding, a sensitization programme would also be mounted in communities on the need for people to honour their tax obligations.

He took the participants through types of Budget, Purpose of Budget and Why Budgeting and indicated that the Assembly always run on deficit budget which cannot cater for its yearly activities hence the Assembly resort to borrowing.

Policy and Advocacy Officer of Foundation of Grass Roots Africa, Desmond Atambire Ayinne, said his outfit would organise similar sessions in the Talensi-Nabdam District, Kasssena Nankana West District, Bawku West and Bolgatanga Municipality, all aimed at making sure that citizens input into the Decision making process of the Assembly.