Revenue collectors charged to be innovative as assembly records shortfalls

Revenue collectors working with the Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly have been charged to be innovative to shore up internally generated funds as the assembly fell short of its 2020 revenue targets

The assembly managed to collect GHc961,370.31 last year against a budgeted figure of GHC1,321,870.21.

The revenue shortfalls occasioned a day’s training held by the No Business as Usual (NBU) Project in partnership with Tax Revenue for Economic Enhancement (TREE), for over 30 revenue officers of the assembly.

Facilitator and Tax Expert with TREE, Hamza Bawa Mahama, outlined outside-the-box strategies the assembly could adopt to mobilize and shore up its Internally generated funds even in the face of COVID 19 pressures on businesses.

He made a strong case for the assembly to put together a mobile taskforce to register, visit and monitor businesses while embarking on vigorous tax campaigns through radio advertisements and using lorry stations for collections.

“The covid-19 has come to impact peoples earnings but that should not prevent them from paying. There can always be a negotiation between citizens and duty bearers to facilitate payment,” Hamza Bawa Mahama suggested.

Contract and regular revenue collectors of the Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly blamed the variance on the pressures of Covid-19 and political interference in their operations.

“Members of the ruling party are hesitant to pay while those of the opposition are also reluctant to pay for the incumbent government to use it to initiate projects and take credit”, a revenue staff of the assembly told Ultimate News’ Salimatu Hawini.

“The covid-19 situation has in a way forced us to be innovative and now technology has made a lot of things easier, we can use radio, information vans and information systems to sensitize people on why they must pay,” he added.

The revenue collectors however contended that collections will be enhanced if institutional barriers from politicians and assembly members is halted with immediate effect.

The training formed part of the objectives of the EU funded No Business as Usual Project of enhancing the capacity of the Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly, to improve revenue mobilization for local development and to promote transparency and social accountability.