THE huge indebtedness of the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo District Assembly has made it difficult for the assembly to initiate or execute new projects and programmes to improve on the lives of its people.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Hajia Mavis Meliga Bawa made this known at the assembly’s ordinary meeting at Bunkpurugu in the Northern Region.
She noted with regret that almost all the projects that were started in 2005 under the District Assemblies’ CommoFund (DACF), had not been completed.
“We are still compiling the debts for recurrent expenditure; I wish to inform you that I inherited huge debts from the previous administration”, she stated.
According to Hajia Bawa, many of the donor funded projects had also not been completed.
She attributed the situation to the lack of proper planning, execution of projects not budgeted for, delay in the execution of projects by contractors, conflicts and lack of proper monitoring and supervision of projects.
The DCE further lamented over the poor revenue base of the assembly, saying “finance has always been a problem for us as our local tax collection machinery has never been able to work effectively to bring in the targeted revenue”.
She explained that the situation was growing from bad to worse, stressing “Our accounting records as of August, 2009 vividly illustrated the unsatisfactory position of our finances”.
According to Hajia Bawa, out of the targeted revenue of GH¢58,239 for 2009, only GH¢14,157 was mobilised as of August 31, 2009, representing 24.3 per cent of revenue mobilised for the year.
She, therefore, proposed a number of measures to be put in place to help increase the assembly’s revenue generation in the subsequent years.
They included the strengthening of the internal financial control systems to check embezzlement of funds and leakages, setting of realistic targets for all revenue collectors and area councils and rewarding hardworking revenue collectors.
Hajia Bawa further stated that trade associations and identifiable groups would be encouraged to assist the assembly in its revenue generation.
The DCE warned that the assembly would not hesitate to take legal action against all tax and rate defaulters.
“I can effectively implement these measures only with the assistance and co-operation of assembly members, opinion leaders, Area Council members and chiefs”, Hajia Bawa stressed.
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