Obuasi, June 9, GNA - Metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies have been urged to be development-oriented to motivate the people to pay the expected taxes to enhance revenue generation and development.

Mr Edward D. Nuotuo, the Executive Secretary of the Land Valuation Board, made the call, when the Board presented the 2005 revaluation list of the Obuasi Municipal Assembly's (OMA) immovable properties to the assembly at Obuasi on Wednesday. He observed that ratepayers everywhere were encouraged to readily pay their taxes once they see a reflection of their taxes in the development of their areas. "We, therefore, encourage the OMA to strive towards achieving that, since this will lead to even higher tax revenue", Mr Nuotuo told the assembly.

He said the last time the assembly's immovable properties were valued, was in 1997 and that the new revaluation list with current values required that the assembly took a look at the current rate impost to arrive at an acceptable tax rates for all categories of properties. Mr Nuotuo assured the assembly of the Board's willingness to assist in that direction. Mr Alex Sarfo, the acting Executive Director in-charge of Rating Valuation of the Board, who presented the revaluation list, said the list covered a total of 10,910 properties with a total rateable value of 2.5 trillion cedis.

He advised the assembly to educate the public on the new list and to ensure that its billing system was computerized to promote prompt and efficient collection of rates. Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu, the Municipal Co-ordinating Director, noted that the existing economic realities necessitated the revaluation of the assembly's immovable properties. He was expecting the assembly to have tremendous revenue generation that would be translated into development projects in the municipality.

Alhaji Yakubu assured the assembly members that they would work diligently to reap the fruits of the exercise. Nana Asirifi Asare II, the Presiding member of the Assembly, who received the list, commended the Board for a good work done. He was hopeful that the assembly staff would work so that the municipality would derive the needed benefit from the new revaluation list.