The Bono Regional Secretary of Tax Justice Coalition Ghana, Simon Asore, has encouraged the youth to get involved to ensure proper accountability and transparency in revenue mobilisation and its use by the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

Mr Asore spoke to JoyNews on the sidelines of an end-of-year review meeting by the coalition at Sunyani, the Bono regional capital.

According to him, weak accountability and transparency and low or no participation of citizens has characterised the current management of the Internally Generated Fund (IGF) in the various MDAs.

He said the MMDAs often think they own the funds and therefore can use them without being accountable to citizens.

"It is, for this reason, the youth in the Bono region and beyond must help to educate the taxpaying public to demand transparency and accountability from the MDAs on revenue generation and management," Mr Asore stressed.

He said demanding accountability from MMDAs has become imperative because maost assemblies have failed to be accountable to the taxpayers, contrary to the dictates of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

“There must be transparency and accountability to the ordinary citizen on the management and use of all funds at the disposal of MMDAs, and the young people ought to be at the forefront of the crusade," he reiterated. 

He explained that sometimes, the youth are hesitant in demanding accountability from the MMDAs due to lack of clarity of policy direction regarding the collection and the use of revenue.

“It is important that as we mobilise and discuss accountability and transparency at the local level, our youth get actively engaged to demand them from duty-bearers,” he added.

Mr Asore advised the youth to make available their financial management expertise at the local level to eradicate financial irregularities and further enhance accountability and transparency.

He underscored the need for private sector organisations in the Bono region to participate in the programmes and activities of MDAs in promoting effective revenue mobilisation, management and its utilisation for development.

He further encouraged Civil Society Organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations and Community–Based Organisations to continue fighting for space in the MMDA’s system.

He stressed that "engaging the MMDAs in their programmes and activities will ensure good financial governance, transparency and accountability”.