Regional News of Friday, 30 September 2011

Source: GNA

Kwaebibirem DCE calls for innovation to generate more revenue

Kade, Sept. 30, GNA - The Kwaebibirem District Chief Executive, Mr Emmanuel R.A Osae, has expressed worry that revenue generation performance of the assembly during the year had not been encouraging in spite of abundant resources in the district. "Out of the approved budget estimates of GHC 567,558 for 2011, t= he assembly as at July 31 had been able to generate an amount of GHC 279,251.3= 9 representing 49.21 percent," he said when addressing the assembly on Thursday. Mr Osae appealed to the Finance and Administration Sub-committee of the assembly to find an innovative way by which more revenue could be internally generated to help achieve the assembly's development goals. He said the assembly's expenditure level continued to rise as a result of high running and maintenance cost of the assembly's vehicles, h= igh administrative cost and regional and national commitments.

Mr Osae said the District Assemblies Common Fund allocation for the first quarter of the year had been received with the guidelines normall= y used for the disbursement of the fund. "An amount of GHC 238,042.19 was allocated to the assembly as i= ts share but only GHC 53,790.73 was deposited in the account of the assembly= ". He explained that deductions at source including cost of the grader= , sanitation (Zoomlion), fumigation and others amounted to GHC 184,251.46 representing 77.41 percent of the total amount allocated to the assembly. "It is therefore becoming very difficult for management to pay contractors working on projects let alone initiating action for award of contracts for execution of new projects," he said.