The Deputy Minister for Ahafo Region, Honourable(Hon) Benjamin Yeboah Sekyere, has urged all assembly members in the country to be more concerned about people paying their property rates to boost the Internal Generated Fund(IGF) of the assemblies for developmental projects.
Hon. Benjamin Yeboah Sekyere who doubles as the Member of Parliament(MP) for Tano South Constituency disclosed this when he addressed the chiefs and people of Asutifi North and Asutifi South Districts during the swearing-in of newly elected assembly members and unit committee member as well as government appointees who will steer the affairs of the assemblies for the next four years as the law demands.
According to him, one avenue which can assist assemblies in Ghana to get enough funds to develop communities and assemblies as a whole is property rate but it is rather unfortunate that most assemblies managers are unable to map – up credible measures to amass such worth from the people.
Per his checks and assessment, most people in the assemblies do not pay their expected property rates to the assemblies and such attitude is really weakening the assemblies financially so it time the newly inaugurated assembly members take a different approach to enforce the people to pay in accordance with the Local Governance Act (LGA) for the assemblies to grow.
He stated that at times it is an eyesore to hear figures classified as a total amount representing the property rate of assemblies per year. If one hears such the question that comes to mind is whether the assembly even exists because it is unbelievable.
He said an assembly like Ho is doing so well when it comes to collecting of property rates from the people and because they are paying the assembly is able to mount several developmental facilities for the residents.
Hon. Sekyere mentioned, without the assemblies educating and enforcing the people to pay their property rates on time there is no way assemblies will have enough funds for projects because the levies collected from market people will not be enough for the assemblies.