Shama (W/R), Feb. 18, GNA – Friends of the Nation (FoN), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), has unveiled an Accountability Information Board (AIB) at the Shama District Assembly.
The move was to ensure transparency in revenue mobilisation to engender confidence among taxpayers in a bid to speed up development of the district.
Unveiling the Board, the Queenmother of Nyanikrom,Nana Akosua Gyemfiaba urged the people of Shama to keep the Assembly on its toes by tracking revenue in-flows and disbursement on the dashboard.
She said many people felt reluctant to pay taxes because they did not see the need to pay, adding that more people would pay when they become aware of what the revenue generated was earmarked for the rapid development of the district.
Nana Gyemfiaba envisaged that the Board would ensure probity, accountability, and transparency to engender much confidence in the taxpayer and make the work of tax collectors easier.
The Head of Monitoring and Evaluation at FoN, Madam Nana Efua Ewo noted that FoN’s intervention with the Assembly was promoting transparency culminating in increased revenue mobilization since 2016.
She said FoN exercised an oversight responsibility on projects, which must be pitched at each Area Council, the implementation and cost involved.
Nana Ewo maintained that with the help of FoN, the Assembly was making progress in terms of awareness creation for people to pay their taxes.
She said in that regard, the Assembly’s Internally Generated Fund (IGF) had increased considerably.
Nana Ewo observed that people did not understand why they should pay taxes and stressed the need to intensify education and awareness.
The District Planning Officer, Alhaji Mahama Abu said records have shown that prior to FoN’s intervention, there was no accountability board anywhere hence, people lacked access to information at the Assembly level.
According to him, before the project, the Assembly was getting revenue in the range of 1,000s due to inadequate funding for regular stakeholder engagement but with funding from Friends of the Nation,” so far, “we are always above a million Ghana cedis”.
He said, “people in the communities now see the need to pay taxes because they have seen what the money is being used for.”
Alhaji Abu indicated that with the intervention, the Assembly had made about 90 per cent improvement in revenue generation.
He noted that the project was sustainable because the structures that FoN assisted them to put in place, have all been mainstreamed and integrated into the Assembly’s system.
“Right now, Area Councils have been strengthened and the Assembly is to put staff in each of the Area Councils to work.”
He said FoN has also supported the Assembly to get a project dubbed, “The Open Governance partnership,” which was also pushing for openness, transparency and accountability which would afford them an opportunity to write and solicit for support.
He said with the project, the Assembly generated GH¢8.million last year and believed that the estimated revenue of GH¢9million in 2022, would be realized.
The Assembly Member for Shama-North, Mr Joseph Mensah, appealed to the Head of Local Government Service, Nana Ato Arthur to strengthen the MMDAs to educate people within the Assemblies on the need to pay their taxes and property rates.
He also reminded them on how decentralisation should be deepened to avoid the over reliance on central government.
GNA