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Mr. Kofi Ofori, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Ablekuma North Municipal Assembly has stated that the financial strength of any assembly in the country largely determines the extent to which it can effectively impact on the lives of its people.

Speaking at the 2018 First Ordinary Meeting of the assembly at Darkuman-Kokompe in Accra, he said implementing innovative measures to maximize revenue by the assembly, has therefore become an essential function that could not be ignored.

He said Assembly has therefore decided to pursue a systematic approach towards maximizing the revenue potentials in the municipality.

To ensure that the assembly has a reliable and achievable target in the 2019 fiscal year, the MCE said the following measures were being instituted; review of revenue data, zoning of the municipality for easy revenue targeting, engagement of private collection firms where necessary, utilizing personnel under the NABCO to collect revenue/data and procurement of a bus for revenue mobilization and sanitation activities.

Others were public sensitization on obligation to the assembly, procurement of Revenue Information Management System (RIMS) and reviewing the appointment of revenue staff.

Mr. Ofori said out of the total of Ghc7, 247,157.00 as its share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) for 2018 only Gh1, 237,425.28 had been received.

In the case of Internally Generated Fund (IGF), Mr. Ofori said the assembly had collected Ghc1,125,988.73 representing 24.64% out of the approved target of Gh?4,569,085.00 as at September 30, 2018.

The MCE said, he intended to run an open administration where views of assembly members and other stakeholders will be given paramount consideration.

He since assuming office about two month ago, one of the major challenges he had observed confronting the effective administration of the assembly, was lack of adequate office accommodation coupled with increasing numbers of staff been posted to the assembly.

Mr. Ofori said, plans were far advanced to take over a building on the assembly’s sanitation site and develop it to an administrative block to house the assembly.

In his welcoming address, the Presiding Member (PM) of the assembly Alhaji Mohammed Nasiru Labaran urged the assembly members to be very serious with the work of the assembly to expedite development in their various electoral areas.

The Municipal Co-ordinating Director Alhaji Shehu Awudu Kadiri promised that management of the assembly will co-operate and work with the assembly members to ensure development of the newly created municipal assembly.