The Programmes Manager for Development Research Centre, a Non-Governmental Organization in Bolgatanga, Milton Aberinga, has appealed to the municipal assembly as well as government to bring back to site, the contractor who worked on the Bolgatanga estates roads.
Mr. Aberinga was speaking at a Social Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (SPEFA) forum, organized by the NGO in Bolgatanga, Tuesday.
The forum was organized for the assembly to educate property owners and traders on revenue mobilization. Whiles commending the assembly for a good job done on the Bolga-Soe roads, he bemoaned the state of the estate roads which are said to be completed. He said though it is said that the estate roads have had the second coat, after he toured the roads, he realized that a poor job has been done.
“We want to draw the attention of the assembly for that matter government to what is happening around the estates area. We have been told that the second coat is done but if you take a tour of the place, you will realize that the job is not properly done. Sometimes they will tell you that you are not an expert so what you see is not what it is but when you go there you will see the pot holes, so for me it does take the eye of an expert to say that the job is not properly done. We think that it is important because the tax payer’s money is involved; we want value for our money. We want to make an appeal to the assembly to bring back the contractor to complete the job for the best interest of the people.”
Mustapha Adam, the Budget officer at the Bolgatanga municipal assembly bemoaned the negative attitude of some revenue collectors, adding that those negative attitudes are criminal. According to him, some revenue collectors are engaged in acts that benefit their personal interest which does not build the confidence of the tax payer. He mentioned that some revenue collectors tear a ticket into two to serve two people while others negotiate with tax payers to exempt full payment. He cautioned that the last resort of the assembly will be to prosecute persons who engage in those criminal acts adding that one was arrested last year for malfeasance.
Meanwhile, the Upper East regional minister Albert Abongo has asked that contractors who do shoddy works and those who abandon projects be blacklisted from future bidding processes. He made the comments after touring some government projects in the Bongo district.
By: Adugbire Cletus | A1RADIOONLINE.com | GHANA
