Chief Executive of Global Media Foundation (GLOMeF), Raphael Godlove Ahenu, has underscored the urgent need for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to use part of their Internally Generated Fund (IGF) to finance physical infrastructural projects in the communities.

This, according to him is one of the surest and effective ways to improve revenue mobilisation at the local level.

Mr. Ahenu who spoke with JoyNews’ Nestor Kafui Adjomah in the Bono regional town of Sunyani said it is important for the assemblies to find ways to show the people what their taxes are being used for.

“It is a way of encouraging them to pay approved taxes and while doing that, the assemblies will be adhering to the accountability principle of the local governance system,” he stated.

He further observed that many people usually refuse to honour their tax obligations to the assemblies because they cannot identify the actual development projects that were directly financed from the IGF.

Mr. Ahenu said if MMDAs begin to finance some of their projects with part of the IGF, they should be labelled ‘IGF funded projects’ upon completion for easy reference.

“I believes this will serve as evidence of effective utilization of the taxes and further motivate the citizenry to honour that civic obligation,” he added.

The GLOMeF CEO mentioned lack of stakeholder consultation by the various assemblies in the fee fixing regime as a major setback on revenue mobilization saying “most people do not understand why they should continue paying tax because they have not been involved in the fee fixing process by the assemblies”. 

Mr. Ahenu however entreated the tax paying public to get interested in ensuring that the various MMD adhere to proper accountability and transparency in revenue mobilization as well as its use.