Nkoranza, (B/A) Dec. 19, GNA - Mr. James Kwabena Appiah-Awuah, Nkoranza District Chief Executive has urged Assembly members, Unit Committees, the Urban Town and Area Councils to get actively involved in the collection of more revenue from the traditional sources of the area in order that the district assembly would also get much money from the common fund.

Mr. Appiah-Awuah was addressing the members of the assembly at the third ordinary meeting of the second session of the district assembly at Nkoranza.

He expressed concern about how the assembly failed to meet its revenue target set for the year and said unless all the opinion leaders strengthened their supervisory roles over all category of revenue collectors in the district, the assembly would continue to lag behind in revenue mobilization.

As at the end of the third quarter, September this year, Nkoranza district assembly had realized a total amount of 610,416,960 million cedis as against a budget revenue figure of 1,343,412 billion cedis and this represented 46 per cent of the targeted revenue.

Mr. Appiah-Awuah complained that the record has revealed that either the revenue collectors in the district were not serious and effective in their work or it could also be that some of the collectors who might be bad or unscrupulous were pocketing the revenue they collect for their selfish gains.

The District Chief Executive therefore announced that the assembly would strengthen the revenue staff at the various checkpoints with the assistance of the Police and persons who would evade taxes or undertake any negative practice to cheat the assembly would be made to face the full rigours of the law.

He reminded the people that the quantum of common fund allocated to every district depended upon the amount of revenue that district is able to generate from its traditional sources and stressed that the entire citizenry of Nkoranza should promote revenue mobilization towards the development of the communities.

An amount of 5.2 billion cedis was earmarked for the Nkoranza district assembly as its common fund for the year and has received 1.8 billion cedis for the first two quarters allocations and that the assembly is yet to receive the third and fourth quarters allocation very soon.

Mr. Appiah-Awuah informed the House that the authorities of the assembly have made contacts with the Department of Feeder Roads towards the construction and tarring of the Nkoranza township roads, which have been a source of worry to all the people, especially when it rained and the roads become soggy

The Nkoranza district assembly in collaboration with the traditional council is to embark on an afforestation project and to plant economic trees at the banks of rivers Pru and Fia in the area and to protect the water bodies and the environment of the people.

Mr. Appiah-Awuah said the afforestation project would receive financial support from the Community Based Rural Development Project (CBRDP) and would also create employment opportunities for the youth of Nkoranza if the project should take off.

He said two waterfalls have been explored in Nkoranza and they are located at Senya and Dandwa and that the CBRDP has plans to support the District Assembly financially to develop the areas to promote tourism and enhance the development of the district.

On environmental sanitation, the Chief Executive was proud to announce that for the third time running, Nkoranza district had won a National Award in Sanitation, placing second, in 2002, first in 2003 and second in 2004 in National rankings and was also first in the regional edition for three consecutive years; 2002, 2003 and 2004. He paid special tribute to the District Environmental Health Officer, Mr. Daniel Agyarko and his staff for their efforts in promoting environmental sanitation in the communities and to prevent the people against contracting communicable diseases.

Mr. Adjei Yeboah, Presiding Member was grateful to the assembly members for attending the meeting to share ideas towards the development of the district for the people to improve upon their living standards.