Nkoranza North's Poor Infrastructure Blamed On Poor Revenue Mobilisation

The Budget Officer of the Nkoranza North District Assembly in the Brong-Ahafo Region, Mr Anthony Afari, has said poor revenue generation is affecting infrastructural development in the District.

According to him, construction works on many on-going physical infrastructural projects, such as educational and social facilities, have stalled due to lack of funds.

Speaking at the Town Hall Meeting organised by the Assembly at Dromankese, Mr. Afari said from January to June this year, the Assembly was able to raise only GH¢118, 82 from the revenue target of GH¢200,000 for 2018.

The amount was generated from property, sanitation and basic rates, building permits, licenses, as well as other fees.

Mr Afari appealed to the people to pay their taxes and rates for the Assembly to generate enough revenue required for development.

The meeting was attended by assembly members, traders, artisanal workers, market women, charcoal burners and sellers, and timber operators.

It was organised by MIHOSO International, in collaboration with Search for Rural Development, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), through the Star Ghana small anti-corruption grant project the two NGOs are implementing in four districts in the Brong-Ahafo Region.

Being funded by the European Union (EU), Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), and the United Kingdom Agency for International Development (UKAID), the project is benefiting the Nkoranza North, Sene West, Kintampo South and Pru districts.

The project seeks to promote transparency and accountability, as a means to reduce corruption in the district.

Mr Afari said the Assembly has not received any quarter of the 2018 District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), a situation which has placed it in a “tight corner”.

He said the quantum of the DACF was also determined by the amount generated locally by the Assembly, hence the need for taxpayers in the district to pay their taxes.

The Chief of Dromankese, Nana Danso Abeam, expressed disappointment that the town lags behind in development. He was worried about the inaccessible roads in the town and appealed to the Assembly to put the Busunya-Dromankese road into good shape.

Nana Abeam said until the people in the area experience a certain level of development, it would be difficult for the assembly to generate revenue locally.

Mr Thomas Benarkuu, Director of Programmes, MIHOSO International, said the project was aimed at ensuring that the assemblies engaged the citizens actively in decision-making.

He expressed optimism that if the citizens are actively engaged in the activities of the assemblies, corruption would be reduced, and this could propel the development of the district.