Nsuaem_Kyekyewere (C/R), May 23, GNA - The Assin South District Assembly has engaged consultants to develop a database and management information systems for revenue improvement.

The consultants, Maphijoe Consult, would also train revenue collectors of the Assembly, Ms Millicent Alice Kuranchie, District Chief Executive (DCE), said at an emergency meeting to approve the supplementary budget of the Assembly at Nsuaem-Kyekyewere. This followed the abysmal internal revenue generation of the Assembly in last year.

Only 484,108,050.63 million cedis out of an estimated 989,100,001.32 million cedis representing 48.9 per cent, was collected. Ms Kuranchie attributed this to the dubious means of some revenue collectors to cheat the Assembly and warned that anyone caught would face the full rigors of the law.

She expressed concern about the poor standard of education in the District and charged the Education Sub-Committee to come out with plans to turn the tide.

The DCE announced that the Assembly had produced over six thousand tree seedlings for planting under the Greening Ghana Project as part of activities marking Ghana's Golden Jubilee.

Ms Kuranchie urged Assembly Members to monitor the Cocoa Spraying gangs in their areas as reports reaching her indicated that they had been selling chemicals meant for the exercise. Mr Derrick Owusu Ambrose, Chairman of the Assembly's Social Services Sub-Committee, who read the supplementary budget on behalf of the Chairman of the Finance and Administration Sub-Committee, said the Assembly received 11,191,000,000 billion cedis as its share of the Common Fund for 2007.

Mr Owusu-Ambrose, who is also the Senior Pharmacist of the Agona Swedru Government Hospital, appealed to the members for support to implement projects envisaged under the budget to improve the living standard of the people. Mr Anthony K. Arthur, Presiding Member, explained the difference between European Union (EU) Micro Projects and other ones that were given out on contract by either the Central Government or the District Assembly.

He asked the Assembly Members to organize communal labour for EU project since there was an Assembly and community component of 25 per cent of the total cost.

Mr A L Arthur, District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education educated the Assembly Members on the re-denomination of the cedi.