New Juaben Municipal Assembly Launches Tax Education Campaign

Nana Adjei Boateng, New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, last Thursday urged the public to re-orient themselves and understand that the business of managing the municipality was not the sole responsibility of the Assembly.

He advised the public to disregard the erroneous perception that the government must provide and maintain everything that was needed in the municipality.

Nana Boateng was briefing the press in Koforidua, in the Eastern Region, at the launch of the 'pay your levy, rates, fees and licenses campaign' in the municipality.

The campaign, which was being held against the backdrop of the failure of the public and businesses to pay rates, licenses and fees due to the Assembly, will involve the use of every available means of mobilising revenue such as public education, task forces and court prosecutions among others.

Nana Boateng said the precarious financial position of the Assembly had led to an accumulation of bills incurred in the provision of such services like the carting and evacuation of refuse, maintenance and repairs of waste management, vehicles, cleansing and clearing of drains, provision and maintenance of public properties.

He said out of budgeted internally generated revenue of 6.4 billion cedis only 3.1 billion cedis had been collected as at July 31, representing 48.6 percent of the yearly target.

'Out of the targeted property rate revenue of 3.1 billion cedis to be collected for the year, a woeful amount of 1.1 billion cedis had been collected as at July, representing 37.2 percent.'

The Chief Executive said as the Assembly tried to discharge its statutory responsibilities, 'it will be highly impossible for it to achieve such goals with its scanty and meagre financial resources.'

He said with an average of about 40 tonnes of solid waste and 67.860 litres of liquid waste generated each day in the municipality, the Assembly spent on the average 100 million cedis each month on fuel and lubricants for waste management vehicles and equipment alone.

Nana Adjei Boateng said the Assembly continued to support the operations of the joint military/police patrols in the municipality adding that 9.5 billion cedis was being spent every month on the patrols.

He said the vigilance of the patrol team had in no doubt led to the municipality enjoying relative calm and tranquillity for sometime now.