Berekum (B/A) June 17, GNA - The Berekum Municipal Assembly exceeded its 2009 revenue target by bagging GHC 292,676.63 representing 122.58 percent. Mr. Stephen Lord Oppong, Municipal Chief Executive, who announced this said the expected revenue target for 2009 was GHC 259,995.82 but they recorded an increase of about 12.5 percent. Mr. Oppong, who was speaking at the 2010 First Ordinary General Meeting of the assembly, in Berekum, said the municipal assembly had ceded its revenue collection to a private firm, REVSOL, whose efforts had contributed to the significant improvement in its revenue mobilization. He entreated the assembly members to support the private firm in revenue generation to enhance the assembly's internally generated fund for development.

Mr. Oppong said that the assembly received GHC 288,102.94 in the first quarter of 2009 as its share of the Common Fund, GHC 280,860.15 and GHC 310,267.13 in the second and fourth quarter respectively. The assembly is yet to receive the allocation of the third quarter of GHC 879,230.22, he added. Mr. Oppong said President John Evans Atta Mills had directed all District Chief Executives to ensure that all individuals and groups who obtained credit facilities from the MASLOC Scheme, which served as a revolving fund, repaid the loans to enable other business entrepreneurs to benefit.

"The failure of beneficiaries to pay back the loans has drained the scheme," he said, and called on the assembly members to dutifully assist to identify defaulters to recoup the revenue. Mr. Kwabena Kyere Junior, Presiding Member, commended the assembly members for their prompt attendance to meetings and urged them to keep it up. The assembly discussed reports of the executive committees, update on development and proposed development projects during the two-day meeting.