Ejura (Ash) Feb. 9, GNA - The Ejura/Sekyedumase District Assembly (ESDA) collected 1.2 billion cedis in revenue for the fiscal year 2004 to exceed its estimated revenue target of 837.4 million cedis, Madam Elizabeth Owusu, the District Chief Executive (DCE) has announced. The DCE, who disclosed this at the third ordinary meeting of the Assembly on Friday at Ejura, cited mass education on revenue payment, proper monitoring and supervision of the activities of revenue collectors as the secret behind the feat.

She stressed that, the Assembly had for the past three years witnessed a steady increase in revenue collection and expressed the hope that it will be sustained to accelerate the socio-economic development of the district.

On agriculture, Madam Owusu said, 5,673 food crops farmers benefited from a loan facility from the African Development Bank (AFDB), which she noted helped them to expand their farms.

She said the Assembly in the effort to meet the needs of the people had provided a market each at Sekyedumase and Anyinasu and had completed a number of school projects.

Other projects included the extension of water supply to the Sekyedumase Health Centre and the construction of Community Resource Centre at Ejura.

The projects, which ran into billions of cedis, Madam Owusu said, were executed with funds from the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), GetFund and HIPC benefits.

The DCE motivated the people in the informal sector to pay their premium promptly to ensure an early commencement of the proposed National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the district. He said the assembly had set up a five-member committee under the chairmanship of Mr Agyeman Kata to investigate the alleged rampant embargo on teachers' salaries by the District Directorate of the Ghana Education Service.

Dr. Joshua Ayakwa, the Presiding Member (PM) commended the assembly members for their unflinching support and the team spirit they have exhibited over the years, which he said had brought the assembly that far in the political landscape.