The huge indebtedness of the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo District Assembly has made it difficult for the assembly to initiate or execute new projects and programmes to improve on the lives of its people.

The District Chief Execitve (DCE), hajia Mavis Meliga Bawa made this
known at the assembly’s ordinary meeting at Bunkpurugu in the Northern Region.

She noted with regret that almost all the projects that were started in
2005 under the District Assemblies’ Common Fund (DACF), had not been completed.

"We are still compiling the debts for recurrent expenditure ; I wish to
inform you that I inherited huge debts from the previous
administration", she stated.

According to Hajia Bawa, many of the donor funded projects had also not been completed.

She attributed the situation to the lack of proper planning, execution
of projects not budgeted for, delay in the execution of projects by
contractors, conflicts and lack of proper monitoring and supervision of
projects.

The DCE further lamented over the poor revenue base of the assembly, saying "financehas always been a problem for us as our local tax collection machinery has never been able to work effectively to bring in the targeted revenue".

She explained that the situation was growing from bad to worse,
stressing "Our accounting records as of August, 2009 vividly
illustrated the unsatisfactory positrion of our finance".

According to Hajia Bawa, out of the targeted revenue of GH¢58,239 for 2009,only GH¢14,157 was mobilised as of August 31,2009, representing 24.3 percent of revenue mobilised for the year.

She therefore, proposed a number of measures to be put in place to help increase the assembly’s revenue generation in the subsequent years.

The included the strenthening of the internal financial control systems
to check embezzlement of funds and leakages, setting of realistic
targets for all rervenue collectors and area councils and rewarding
hardworking revenue collectors.

Hajia Bawa further stated that trade associations and identifiable
groups would be encouraged to assist the assembly in its revenue
generation.

The DCE warned that the assembly would not hesitate to take legal
action agaoinst all tax and rate defaulters.

"I can effectively implement these measures only with the assistance
and cooperation of assembly members, opinion leaders, AreaCouncil
members and chiefs", she stressed.

DS