We have cleared 60% of the legacy debts- Tema Metro MCE

Mr Yohane Amarh Ashitey, the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive has disclosed that the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has cleared 60 per cent of a legacy debt he inherited.Mr. Ashitey, who took over the administration of the TMA in October 2021, said 'We have cleared 60% of the legacy debts and we hope to bring down the rest by the end of the year.'He disclosed this in a sessional address during a general assembly meeting of the TMA.He said one of the fears he faced upon assumption as the Tema MCE was the legacy debt which ranged from debts owed contractors, service providers, suppliers, salaries and utilities.According to him, with the support and commitment of management and prudent management of the limited resources, the story has changed.Touching on revenue mobilization, he said the assembly would continue to rigorously implement strategies geared towards enhancing revenue mobilization, noting that this includes the upgrading of the revenue software, updating of revenue database, intensive dat a validation, posting of payments to line items, and mop-up on data collection.Other strategies he mentioned were the strengthening of internal controls and monitoring, training of revenue collectors, public education and sensitisation, strengthening of the sub-structures in revenue mobilization, the introduction of intensive monitoring schedules for revenue collection and contractors, regular revenue taskforce exercises, prosecution of defaulters, and stakeholder engagements, and mothers.Mr Ashitey said in 2023, the TMA set an internally generated fund (IGF) target of GH? 25,816,198.45, out of which it mobilized GH? 22,336,538.62 representing 86.5 per cent of the targeted.He attributed the variance in the figures largely to the unsuccessful implementation of myAssembly.gov on property rate collection initiated by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).He further said the IGF mobilised was made up of rates, lands and royalties, rents of lands, buildings and houses, licences, fees, fines, penalties, forfeit s and miscellaneous.The TMA's total accrued revenue for 2023 was GH? 40,806,983.46 as against the budgeted GH?49,621,196.56 showing an 82.24 per cent revenue achievement.Mr. Ashitey stated that the total revenue comprised the IGF, recurrent grants and capital grants.Source: Ghana News Agency