Find innovative ways to generate revenue — Afotey Agbo
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, has tasked the Adentan Municipal Assembly to find innovative ways of generating sufficient funds to enable it to provide the needed backbone for economic growth in the municipality.
Advertisement
He noted that many assemblies relied on the common fund solely for their development activities.
“The result is that any delay in the release of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) affected project implementation,” he said.
Nii Afotey Agbo gave the advice when he addressed staff of the assembly at Adentan.
The regional minister was at the assembly on a working visit to the municipality during which he inaugurated a number of completed structures and inspected ongoing ones.
Revenue generation options
He reminded the assembly of other ways of getting revenue from property rates development permits, fees and fines and tourism site levy.
“You are also expected to block all loopholes and leakages in the system so that you can mobilise enough to fund developmental plans,” he said.
Building permit
Nii Afotey Agbo urged the assembly to streamline the way building permits were issued in order to make it less cumbersome to acquire.
He said by doing so, people would become encouraged to apply for permits and this would as a result reduce the spate of unauthorised structures springing up.
He cautioned the staff not to connive with developers and warned that “anyone caught in such a practice would face disciplinary action.”
“I encourage you to pull down all unauthorised structures that have sprung up in the district, particularly on waterways and designated roadways in order to bring about decency in the development of the district,” he said.
Peace and security
On chieftaincy, Nii Afotey Agbo said even though the 1992 Constitution maintained that the government should not interfere in chieftaincy matters, “we cannot stand aloof while disputes destroy our heritage and create conflicts that have disastrous consequences for our people.”
He said the use of land guards by various disputing chiefs and families in matters such as sand-winning, demarcation of property and sale of lands must cease as the practice created insecurity and undermined development.
He said as the regional minister, his was to ensure that peace and security were maintained in the region so that people could freely go about their legitimate businesses without fear.
Municipal guards
Earlier, the minister interacted with municipal guards and warned them to desist from harassing people unnecessarily just because they were in uniform.