Okere District Assembly has improved in its revenue generation achieving an 85%revenue target for the year 2021.
The assembly’s internally generated funds from property rate, lands, royalties, rents, licensing, fees, and lorry park tickets amounted to Ghc428,000 representing 85% of the revenue target for the year 2021.
He said, “Okere hasn’t benefited from the year of roads and the major roads that are ongoing at Nkurakan, Amanfrom, Asaman, Adukrom, Trom junction road, Lakpa to Akyekyetsu Koforidua road and a few ongoing roads that are happening in the district here, we have demonstrated to the general public what we have used their funding for as a way of letting them know that whatever we received from the central government and whatever we raised from them, we can use it judiciously to benefit them”.
This was revealed by the District Chief Executive for Okere Daniel Kenneth during a town hall meeting by the Okere district assembly under the theme “Accounting to the people of projects and programs of 2021 and deepening local governance participation”
The program was in fulfillment of the president’s agenda to bring democracy and governance to the doorstep of the people, and to strengthen local governance hence the need to account to the people.
“Recently, during an orientation program, the local government minister who is also our MP has also charged as to bring governance to the doorstep of the local people and so charity begins at home so we have demonstrated that whatever the president or the minister have said, we in Okere have accepted and we are working on it and today we accounted to our people,” he said.
During the presentation, the DCE revealed that the assembly expected to receive four million Ghana cedis as the district assembly common funds for the year 2021 but received only one million Ghana cedis which represented 25%. He blamed the delay on the effect of Covid-19 on the economy.
He said various grants, funds, and IGF generated during the period under review amounted to over 8 million Ghana.
The DCE stressed that funds received were invested in education, health, and agriculture saying ” 270 desks were distributed to some basic schools, rehabilitation of Samfo Ano KG block and Awukugua Presby school block, construction of Abonse health center and free health insurance scheme for persons living with disability”.
“The assembly also distributed 10,000 oil palm seedlings, 22,000 mango seedlings, and 2,000 coconut seedlings to some farmers in the district as part of the government planting for food and job initiative adding that about 5000 farmers benefited from the Agric Extension Service delivery and some 35 persons acquired free training in the mushroom farming production only in the Okere District,” he said
However, Hon. Daniel Kenneth disclosed that donor funds which contribute hugely to the assembly’s revenue have seen a sharp decline due to the effect of the covid on these donor countries, therefore urged residents in Okere to accept the e- levy policy saying it would help the government and the assembly to have enough funds to undertake developmental projects.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
