Mr Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, the Gomoa West District Chief Executive, has expressed concern about the poor revenue generation of the Assembly and appealed to members to get actively involved.

Addressing the second ordinary meeting of the Assembly at Apam on Tuesday, Mr Aidoo-Mensah said the Assembly was, as at September 30, 2013, collected only 130,982.74 Ghana cedis out of the estimated revenue of 266,863.60 Ghana Cedis, representing 49.08 percent, a shortage of 69,164.96. Ghana cedis.

He attributed the poor performance of the assembly in revenue collection to lack of qualified revenue collectors, inadequate public education on the need for people to pay taxes and levies, non-functioning of some of the Area/Town Councils and lack of data on buildings for owners to pay property rates.

He said insincerity of some revenue collectors, who pocketed some monies collected, as well as food items and drinks from traders, also contributed to the poor performance.

The DCE said in order to increase revenue from the Assembly’s traditional sources it had adopted measures including sending revenue collectors from Apam and Mumford to Dawurampong on market days to assist in the collection in addition to the employment of five guards to assist the collectors.

Mr Aidoo-Mensah said the Assembly had also adopted strategies to plug some of the loopholes in the revenue generation. He said the strategies would include strict supervision of collectors, public education, prosecution of rate defaulters, formation of revenue task forces and the operationalisation of Town/Area Councils.

The DCE appealed to assembly members, chiefs and opinion leaders to join the crusade to educate the people on the need to meet their tax obligations promptly. Mr Aidoo-Mensah reminded the assembly members of the important role internally generated funds play in the allocation of District Assembly Common Fund, saying; “the higher the IGF you collect, the higher common fund you get.”

He said under the International Development Agency (IDA) Sustainable Rural Water and Sanitation Project, 10 boreholes with hand-pumps are being constructed in 10 communities in the district at an estimated cost of 121,874.80 Ghana cedis.

The DCE said five institutional latrines would also be constructed under the project at a cost of 291,845.69 Ghana cedis. Mr Aidoo-Mensah said the Member of Parliament for Gomoa West, Mr Francis Kojo Arthur, has secured a six-unit classroom block from the GETFund for Gomoa Odina.

The Assembly expressed concern about the increase in motor accidents on the Mankessim/ Kasoa Highway, recounted that about three weeks ago, an Assistant Headmaster of Apam Senior High School, Mr Samuel Bruce and a policeman, Samuel Ameleke, died while taking examination scripts to Winneba.

Mr Anthony Eyiah Quansah, the Presiding Member, expressed concern about the upsurge in teenage pregnancy in the district. He said during their rounds during the last Basic Education Certificate Examinations, 29 girls were found to be pregnant and appealed to parents to exercise control over their children, especially the girl-child.