Prestea-Huni Valley Exceeds Revenue Target

Robert Wisdom Cudjoe

THE newly-created Prestea-Huni Valley District Assembly in the Western Region has managed to exceed its revenue target in 2009.

The assembly targeted an amount of GH¢236,445.00 for 2009, but as at 31st October last year, its revenue stood at GH¢241,824.63, representing 102.28 percent of the estimated budget figure.

With respect to the recurrent expenditure budget, an amount of GH¢525,700.00 was estimated to be spent in 2009, but as at the end of 31st October, 2009, the actual amount spent stood at GH¢396,524.79, representing 75.43 percent of the expenditure budget.

However, the district assembly could not achieve the estimated revenue of GH¢850,000.

This was disclosed by Robert Wisdom Cudjoe, District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Assembly at its general meeting at Bogoso.

He indicated that the assembly targeted an amount of GH¢1,824,130.37 under the District Assembly Common Fund in 2009, but received only two-thirds of the allocations which amounted to GH¢925,625.08.   

Hon. Cudjoe stated that apart from the identification of the new sources of local revenue to the assembly, a number of measures had been adopted to improve revenue collection.

The assembly, he noted, had put in place certain measures including the recruitment of  additional revenue collectors to the Urban and Area councils, periodic re-shuffling of revenue collectors and the institution of a reward system for high performing revenue collectors.

The DCE appealed to the assembly members and the opinion leaders in the various communities to offer the needed assistance to the assembly's revenue collectors in the discharge of their duties.

He regretted that in recent times the district had recorded a number of violent demonstrations and public agitations in connection with mining activities in the area.

Hon Cudjoe said the invasion of concessions of large mining companies by illegal miners popularly called “galamsey” operators and attempt by the companies to evict the encroachers had contributed to the unrest.  

He pointed out that the District Security Council (DISEC) in collaboration with other security agencies was working hard to find a lasting solution to the “galamsey” menace in the district.

He noted that poor road network in the district was a major problem, stressing that the assembly had purchased a grader to undertake regular routine maintenance of the roads.

DCE Cudjoe mentioned that the Tarkwa-Bogoso junction on the Ayanfuri highway was at the technical preparatory stage, assuring that the contract would be awarded this year.

From Sam Mark Essien, Takoradi