Keta (VR)-Ghana, March 22, GNA – The Keta Municipal Assembly in the Volta region has launched a revenue collection strategy dubbed ‘basic rate collection’ popularly known as ‘lempo.’
The rationale behind the move is to assist the Assembly to generate more revenue to address some pressing problems confronting it.
Mr Emmanuel Gemegah, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Keta, in an address at a short ceremony on Wednesday, said the rates would help tackle some important basic problems confronting the Assembly that required urgent attention.
He explained that the levy was backed by local governance law ‘Act 936’ which gave the Assembly the opportunity to generate income through revenue collection.
“Every citizen within the Keta Municipality aged between 18 to 70 years would be required to pay this basic rate for the development of the area,” he said.
The MCE said revenue collectors would be given a prescribed uniform with an identity card for the exercise “so we can do many things without depending on the Assembly’s common fund if we are able to pay accordingly.”
He also explained that the assembly members from various electoral areas within the Municipality in collaboration with the Municipal Assembly, would determine the usage of the revenue collected.
It must be the responsibility of all to educate the public about the importance of taxes and other revenues in the development of the assemblies, he said.
Mr Innocent Gawua, the Municipal Coordinating Director, urged the public to get involved in the new directive which he said would propel the development agenda of the area “since government could not do all.”
He commended Mr Wisdom Seade, the Assembly Member for Anyako and Mr Amos Ametsime, the Presiding Member for the Assembly for their good effort towards the move and charged other members to emulate.
The Assembly had fixed a rate of GH¢5.00 across board for every resident within the Municipality.
Payment could also be made through the Assembly’s BOP account number, 0597386556.
