Communities in the Asokore Mampong Municipality whose residents pay their taxes and levies promptly will be directly rewarded with development projects.

Municipal Chief Executive, Nurudeen Hamidan, tells Nhyira Fm the move is to reciprocate and encourage citizens to fulfill their tax obligations to the state.

He spoke at a ceremony to present 60 street light bulbs to residents of Asabi for achieving 100 per cent target in payment of property rate.

The Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly achieved about 75 per cent of its revenue target for 2015.

Officials say the assembly has identified some loop- holes in the revenue mobilization stream which will serve as a basis for measures for improved collection.

As a first step the assembly has automated payment and collection of all tolls, levies and fees.

Besides, officials have instituted a reward system to encourage residents to voluntarily fulfill their tax obligations.

“We now have point of sales terminals; the moment the person pays, it enters into computer. All these are innovations trying to entice the people because Ghanaians have believe that when they pay the taxes, they are misused. But when the person sees what the tax is being used for, it encourages the person to do to pay. This is what we need to do to psyche the people up and try to encourage them to pay their taxes”, says Alhaji Nurudeen Hamidan, Municipal Chief Executive in an interview with Nhyira Fm.

Under the new arrangement, communities whose residents honour their tax obligations would receive special attention development projects in return.

“If I know that when I pay tax I will get street light; I know that when I pay tax I will get water, when I pay tax I will get the services that I need, I will continue to pay. Abroad when they are paying taxes, because they see what the taxes are used for and now going [2015], we have dedicated internal revenue for specific projects. For instance if you need gutter, we use the money that you pay into the assembly and do the gutter for you”. Alhaji Hamidan revealed.

Residents of Asabi are the first to benefit from the initiative as they have been rated to have fulfilled their financial obligation to the assembly.

Municipal Chief Executive, Alhaji Hamidan led a delegation to donate 60 pieces of street light bulbs to the community while Aboabo Number Two gets 40 pieces.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Hamidan has announced proposed rehabilitation of the Asabi-Asokore Mampong road work on which is expected to begin early  this year.