Akim Oda (E/R), Sept. 8, GNA - The Birim Central Municipal Assembly (BCMA) has taken delivery of four new Jialing motorcycles to help augment the assembly's revenue mobilisation. Mr Frank Marcellus K. Busumtwi, Birim Central Municipal Chief Executive, who handed over the keys of the motorcycles to Mr William Kwaku Ompong, Municipal Finance Officer (MFO), said tackling poverty in a multi-pronged approach could yield significant and much faster results.

The MCE noted that economic growth was the strongest antidote to poverty in the country hence if the municipality could sustain its recent 15 per cent increases in its revenue collection it could make significant progress in developing the area. Mr Busumtwi said the establishment of an effective supervisory and monitoring role, training of revenue collectors and renumbering of property rate, as some of the interventions and reforms that characterised the supply of the Nissan pick-up and the Jialing motorbikes.

The BCMA had earlier taken delivery of one Nissan pick-up under the Urban Poverty Reduction Project (UPRP), which was sponsored by the Government of Ghana and the African Development Bank (AFDB). Receiving the keys, Mr William Kwaku Ompong, Municipal Finance Officer, thanked the Government for the motors, which he described as "tools to facilitate revenue development", adding that, the gesture was timely.

Mr Ompong told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that with the delivery of the motors, the period of slow and negative growth in the revenue mobilisation was over, and that if the attached interventions and reforms was pursued, it would help achieve progress in human development and also help close the assembly's massive infrastructure deficit. According to the MFO, the Assembly had collected total revenue of 199,727.36 Ghana Cedis between January 1 and July 31, 2008, exceeding its target of 179,860.02 Ghana Cedis for July, 2008 by 15 per cent. He assured the Municipal Chief Executive that the finance department of the assembly would work diligently and assiduously to ensure 30 per cent increase in the target set for the 2008 fiscal year.