Shama District accounts to residents with billboards showing expenditure

In the heat of the ongoing debate about the e-levy, the Shama District Assembly in the Western Region has taken steps to account to residents in the District on the taxes it collects and how it is utilising the funds for the greater good of residents.

The Assembly in partnership with Friends of the Nation has mounted billboards on which the Assembly has listed a number of projects and their implementation status, as well as how much funds are committed to them.

The billboards mounted at strategic locations in the District in all the six area councils provide details on how much the District made in revenues for the 2021 fiscal year, the breakdown of how the revenues were used (expenditure), the number of projects that are completed or ongoing, the sources of revenues, the contract sum for each of the projects etc.

The District generated a total of GH¢1,813,231.85 from rates, licenses fees and fines out of the GH¢2 million it projected for 2021 as Internally Generated Funds (IGF). Other statutory funds to the Assembly brought a total revenues of GH¢8,023,415.01

The Assembly, however, spent GH¢3,961,795.20 as employee compensation for the year, among other overheads amounting to a total expenditure of GH¢7,408,980.03.

At an unveiling ceremony held at the Shama District Assembly on Thursday, February 17, District Chief Executive (DCE) Ebenezer Dadzie underscored the importance of transparency on tax collection and utilisation in fostering trust between tax payers and tax managers.

“These board helps residents with information on how the taxes we collect from them are being used,” he said. “When people see the judicious use of taxes, it becomes easier for them to pay statutory taxes. It builds trust”.

He called on other assemblies to also open up their activities to residents.

The Shama District is a beneficiary of the Open Government Partnership (OGP).

The beneficiary districts commits to opening up its activities to residents.