Hohoe (V/R),– Mr Andrews Teddy Ofori, the Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), says the Assembly is to mobilise nearly GH₵43 million revenue in 2021.
He said the Assembly collected GH₵19.6million out of total revenue of GH₵33 million estimated for 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and the failure of some property owners to fulfil their financial obligations to the Assembly.
Mr Ofori, in an address at the first ordinary meeting of the second session of the eight Hohoe Municipal Assembly in Hohoe, said the expectation in 2020 was that all stakeholders would pool resources for the implementation of the Assembly’s development agenda.
“The performance of the Assembly from January to December 2020 shows that we have performed relatively well despite the challenges that affected our revenue mobilisation and, for that matter, budget implementation in 2020.”
He said expenditure of GH₵843,559.78 was incurred out of an estimated budget of GH₵1,171,538.40, representing almost 72 percent in 2020.
The MCE said finding effective ways of mobilizing revenue to meet the demand for public services was important, adding that without reliable revenue flows, it was not possible to honour demands for projects in the various electoral areas.
He said the Assembly would boost 2021 Internally Generated Fund (IGF) collections through Town Hall meeting at all Zonal Councils’ level on budgetary performance and Public Financial Management.
“Revamp Revenue Compliance Unit to mobilize fees and rates from defaulters, strengthen Development Control Taskforce to ensure the public comply with building regulations and issue Municipal commercial drivers’ licenses to drivers operating within and between Hohoe other major towns.”
Mr Ofori said the Assembly would also emboss unique identification numbers on all taxi vehicles operating within Hohoe Municipality, maintain a sound database on businesses to widen the revenue mobilization base in the Municipality and roll out the “DRev software” to facilitate printing of demand notices and bills.
He said the Assembly would also complete the street naming exercise in the Municipality, Number and digitise all houses in the Municipality by the year 2022.
The MCE appealed to Assembly Members to complement efforts of the Assembly by educating the citizenry in their electoral areas about their obligations to pay levies and the obligations of the Assembly towards them.
He said for the Assembly to encourage the production of selected crops for food security, to create jobs and build a resilient local economy under the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) Programme, the Assembly had met some performance targets in 2020.
“A total of 5,750 farmers, comprising 3,011 males and 2,739 females, were registered under the PFJ programme, a biometric registration was introduced to capture data on actual farmers in the Municipality.
“This year, the farmers’ registration has commenced and it is ongoing with 5,982 farmers already registered manually.”
Mr Ofori said 144 graduate apprentices benefited from startup tools and kits, 214 youth were trained in entrepreneurial skills and financial supports amounting to GH₵2,300,000.00 were extended to 2,470 beneficiaries in the Municipality under the Corona Alleviation Support Programme (CAPBuSS) were implemented in 2020, through the Ghana Enterprises Agency (NBSSI) and Rural Enterprises Programme.
The MCE expressed the hope that the next few years was likely to usher the Municipality into a new era of a vibrant secondary city that attracted tourists and investors, thereby yielding social and economic dividends for the good people of Hohoe.
Source: Ghana News Agency
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