Revenue collection in Kpando up by 35 percent

Kpando (V/R), June 23, GNA - In an election year where every political appointee is coming under the microscope of observers and analysts to ascertain the level of his performance, Mr Pius Kwami Adanuti, the Kpando District Chief Executive seems to be recording alphas in the discharge of his duties.

Since his appointment in October last year, in place of Mr Asowoe Akwensivie, who was removed for non-performance, Mr Adanuti has endeared himself to the hearts of the people with his "positive action" administration, which has manifested in the accelerated development of the area.

"Street lights are now working, the roads are being rehabilitated, sanitation in the district has improved as a result of a vigorous awareness campaign by the district assembly and modern places of convenience are under construction," Mr Julius Osai, an opinion leader at Kpando told the GNA.

Mr Sylvanus Kyekye, chairman of the Bishop Herman College Parents Teachers Association said the DCE had shown that with honesty and hard work, a lot could be achieved from the resources available to each district.

Reacting to the encomiums being poured on him by the people, Mr Adanuti said he took office believing that a lot could be achieved if the right things were done with the meagre resources at the disposal of the District Assembly.

Consequently, the DCE said he resolved to maximise the existing revenue sources, strengthen the grassroots structures such as the town, area and urban councils and ensured that they functioned properly, making sure that ongoing projects were enhanced by optimising their resource use as delays caused upward review of contracts.

He said he also decided to explore the dormant resources and exploit all opportunities in the various assistance schemes in order to reduce poverty among the people and to empower them economically so that they would get regular incomes to better their lives.

Mr Adanuti said in achieving his objectives, he blocked a lot of leakages in the revenue collection machinery, leading to a 35 percent rise in internally generated revenue to facilitate the implementation of developmental projects in the area.

He said he believed in persuading the people through public education programmes to cooperate with the Assembly in maintaining a clean environment because existing facilities did not have the capacity to expand to meet the rapid growth in population.

"It is necessary for the people to observe the laws on sanitation and we guide them to clear the gutters and participate in occasional clean up exercises to supplement the efforts of our labour force." The DCE said in the interim, his administration had commenced the construction of Aqua Privy places of convenience in the district but advised the people to try to provide toilets in their houses as well. On the disbursement of the Poverty Alleviation Fund, which had been lauded by the people, Mr Adanuti said in the past many people thought it was a gift and that they could take it and do anything with it without paying back so he had to do a thorough mass education to explain the concept to the people.

"After that, we scrutinized applications and followed up with rigid documentation involving the taking of pictures of applicants, while we gave special consideration to groups and organisations, but ensuring that the disbursement was strictly non-partisan."

He said most of the recipients who wanted to go into small-scale production were linked up with the Business Advisory Centre of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) and they were followed up periodically to ensure that they were taking the right steps. On education, the DCE said the assembly had organised a Science and Maths Clinic for girls to encourage them to appreciate the relevance of those subjects.

The Assembly also provided furniture and rehabilitated many school blocks through the HIPC Fund, he added.

Mr Adanuti said at the moment the Assembly was sponsoring the education of 80 students from the district at tertiary level and 40 final year students in Teacher Training Colleges and promised the facility would be extended to many more brilliant but needy children in the district.