Oguaa Assembly to wean itself from District Assemblies' Common Fund

The Cape Coast Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr. Anthony Egyir Aikins on Thursday said the Metropolitan Assembly was exploring means to identify and automate all revenue sources to generate the needed income. She said the measure would end the over reliance of the assembly on the District Assemblies' Common Fund. He expressed concern about the irregularities associated with revenue mobilization such as embezzlement of funds and under valuation of property. Mr. Egyir Aikins made this known when members of the Foundation for Female Photo-journalists (FFP) met with members of the assembly in Cape Coast, to deliberate on steps to enhance revenue. The meeting was a follow up of a collaborative project, which began in May between the foundation and the assembly, to create a platform for the assembly to bring its problems to the fore for solution. The MCE said it had become imperative for the assembly to improve its revenue sources, in view of the fact that GH� 300,000.00 was deducted at source from the GH�400,000.00 allocated it from the assemblies' common fund for the first quarter of this year. He said the assembly was directed by the Ministry of Local Government to use the remaining amount to pay all outstanding bills, making it difficult for effective administration. Mr. Egyir Aikins hinted that the assembly would protest to the ministry about the directive. The facilitator of the project, Mr. Quranchie Adama Tettey said a research by the foundation indicates that property rates, which formed one of the major sources of internally generated revenue, had not been properly exploited by the assemblies. He therefore urged members to furnish the assembly with all new projects springing up in their localities, to enable the house to carry out proper documentation for taxation.