Tongo (UE) Jan. 20, GNA - The Talensi-Nabdam District in the Upper East Region mobilized 132.07 million cedis as internally generated revenue in 2006, representing 54.7 per cent of its projected target of 241.58 million cedis.

The District Chief Executive, Mr. Sebastian Bisnab, said this on Friday at the first ordinary meeting of the first session of the assembly at Tongo.

He said there were virtually no commercial activities in the markets for which tax could be collected.

Mr Bisnab said market days fall on the same day as the Bolgatanga Market and that people from the area like going to the Bolgatanga Market, denying the local authorities of revenue. He also blamed the low internal revenue to communal strife in the mining areas that made it difficult for the assembly to mobilize any substantial revenue.

Mr Bisnab appealed to the assembly members in the mining areas to help maintain peace at the sites to enable the assembly to collect revenue.

Mr. Bisnab appealed to assembly members to help identify honest, dedicated and hard working people in their electoral areas to be bonded as commissioned revenue collectors.

He said the assembly was having consultations with a firm to support the assembly to enhance its locally generated revenue. Mr. Bisnab said the assembly, with the support of the two Members of Parliament from the area, had sponsored 409 students in tertiary institutions, nurses training colleges, and teacher training colleges at a total of 352.2 million cedis with the agreement that they would serve in the district when they completed their training. He said the assembly was given 415 million cedis under the Youth Employment Programme and so far 1,478 people had registered for the programme.

The DCE expressed concern about conflicts over land issues in the area and appealed to the assembly members to help map out strategies to curb the menace.