Some staff of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the Ashanti Region have been interdicted over missing general counterfoil receipt books.

Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, has described the trend as worrying, expressing fears the receipts could be used for extortion.

The Regional Coordinating Council has initiated a full-scale investigation.

 “We have even interdicted some people. At the end of the committee’s report, we will know the action to take. If we will have to dismiss some of them, we will do that”, Mr. Osei Mensah said. 

The Offinso, Akrofuom, Atwima Mponua and Suame local assemblies are among the areas where the trend has been discovered.

Chief Executive officers, Coordinating Directors and Finance Officers in the affected areas are being held responsible for the missing receipt books.

The Regional Minister bemoaned some recurring audit issues, including non-deduction of VAT and other taxes.

“It has also come to the notice of the RCC that some recurring audit issues are not being addressed by MMDAs. These include the non-deduction of VAT and the tax, and even when deducted, is not remitted. Payments made by Assemblies are also not accounted for. Some Assemblies are also refusing to hold audit meetings.”, Simon Osei Mensah further explains.

He added, “I am also informed that some MMDCEs and MMDCDs do not involve their Internal Auditors in the payment process citing the use of the GIFMIS as an excuse. Hon. Members, due to the importance of financial management and audit issues to the existence of the Assemblies, there will again be presentations by the Chief Local Government Inspector and the Internal Auditor on revenue and audit issues at this meeting.”

 Nonetheless, all 43 MMDAs in the region have submitted their first-quarter financial statements. Three of them were returned for correction of some errors.

The assemblies generated over 24 million cedis out of a target of 26.5 million cedis, representing 92.7 percent of the target.

Seventeen of the MMDAs exceeded their quarterly budget.

The Bosome Freho District was ranked the worst-performing assembly in IGF mobilization 

Mr. Osei Mensah who was satisfied with the performance spoke about the measures adopted to improve revenue mobilization.

“The monitoring is a factor. Now we look at the financial statement every month and then I request the Chief local government inspector to give me a report on the financial statement so I look at the report and call the assemblies to back up in areas they are not doing well”, he added.

Over 23.4 million cedis was spent by the Assemblies in the same period.

The General Meeting of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council deliberated on measures to develop local communities.