The Dormaa Municipal Assembly, in the Brong-Ahafo region, has received an amount of GHC2,907,092.00, as its share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) for 2011.
A supplementary budget, approved by members of the Assembly at its first General Meeting in Dormaa-Ahenkro, has allocated GHC1,287,295.00, representing 44.3 percent of the amount for the payment of on-going projects and programmes.
Mr Vincent Oppong Asamoah, Municipal Chief Executive, who disclosed this in a sessional address to the Assembly, said GHC666,000.00 representing 22.9 percent of the amount would be used to pay for 29 new development projects earmarked for execution.
He said GHC74,630.00 being two point six percent of the Assembly’s share would cater for outstanding payments and some mandatory local Government requirements, whilst the remaining GHC879,165.24, representing 30.2 percent, would be kept as contingency.
The MCE noted that the Assembly, in collaboration with Revsol Ghana Limited, a private revenue collecting company, was able to mobilize GHC54,997.27, representing 86 percent of its first quarter target of GHC64,077.51, as internally-generated revenue for 2011.
Mr Asamoah described the internally-generated revenue status of the Assembly as unsatisfactory and appealed to members to educate their electorate on the need for them to respect and honour their tax obligations without being coerced.
He said 23 communities submitted to the Energy Ministry for consideration for power, under the Rural Electrification project in 2011, was receiving positive attention.
Mr Asamoah expressed concern over the increasing illegal lumbering, which he said was not only depriving the Assembly of revenue but was also depleting the remaining forest cover and forest products.
“We have received reports that timber merchants from China have teamed up with local people from Techiman and elsewhere and are destroying our forests.
“Sometimes they cut trees from Government’s teak plantations and teak farms belonging to individual farmers”, the MCE disclosed.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Dormaa-West, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu advised the Assembly Members against being influenced at sittings along partisan political lines.
He urged the Assembly to always place the interest of their people ahead of all other issues.