The Tema Municipal Assembly has collected a total revenue of over ¢73 billion during the year 2006.

The amount showed a tremendous achievement of about 106 percent of the Assembly's estimated total revenue target of ¢69.366 billion for the year in review.

Mr David Quaye Annang, Tema Municipal Chief Executive disclosed this on Thursday in a sessional address at the Assembly's first ordinary meeting of the first session.
Giving the break down of the ¢73,184 billion revenue collected, Mr Annang said, the internally generated revenue of ¢36,835 billion represented nearly 50 percent increase compared to ¢24.5 billion generated in 2005.

He noted that, management decision to undertake the collection of property rates and business operating licenses using its own revenue staff yielded ¢13 billion saving the Assembly over three billion cedis.

Whereas total grants and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) fund constituted ¢28.246 billion of the total revenue, the District Assemblies' Common Fund allocated ¢8.102 billion to the revenue while the performance of IGF mobilization for 2006 showed an achievement of 14.6 percent above the target of ¢ 32.141 billion.

Touching on the estimated revenue mobilization for 2007, the MCE indicated that, the Assembly hoped to mobilize an amount of ¢77 billion.

To achieve its target, the Assembly has renewed agreements with some revenue mobilization agents, while appropriate targets have been set for them.

In addition Mr Annang noted that, some critical revenue areas and sources have also been assigned to newly commissioned collectors at the beginning of the year.

Stating some of the challenges faced by the Assembly in revenue mobilization, the MCE indicated that some of the challenges has to do with the nature and conditions of lorry parks and markets, the conditions of the roads, inadequate vehicles for revenue mobilization campaigns and non-cooperative attitude of populace as well as the public perception of the Assembly.

Source: GNA