The District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Bawku West, James Ayamwego, has revealed deep-rooted challenges undermining the district’s development, particularly in the area of revenue generation, citing citizens’ reluctance to pay basic taxes such as property rates.
According to Mr. Ayamwego, the Assembly’s Internally Generated Funds (IGF) over the years have remained worryingly low, averaging between GH¢800,000 and GH¢900,000 annually—an amount he describes as grossly inadequate for a district with a population of about 152,000.
“On average, our annual IGF has always been around GH¢800,000 or GH¢900,000. That is under one million Ghana cedis, which does not reflect the potential of the district,” he disclosed during an interaction on A1 Radio. He noted that despite the existence of gazetted bylaws, the Assembly does not currently collect property tax, basic tax, or several other levies critical to boosting local revenue.
Mr. Ayamwego admitted that the district has “no excuse” for failing to enforce these taxes, especially considering its growing population, expanding housing developments, and increasing business activities. “If the district is growing, new houses are coming up, businesses are expanding, then our revenue should reflect that growth,” he stated.
He attributed the poor performance to fundamental challenges inherited over the years, including revenue leakages, outdated collection methods, and weak implementation of bylaws. “What we were doing 10 or 20 years ago is still what we are doing today, and that is simply not good enough,” he lamented.
The DCE revealed that the Assembly currently has fewer than 20 revenue collectors, some permanent and others casual, who are paid a percentage of what they collect—another challenge affecting efficiency and accountability.
Despite these setbacks, Mr. Ayamwego expressed optimism about the future, indicating that the Assembly has begun implementing strategic reforms aimed at doubling its IGF to an estimated GH¢2 million annually. He said his administration has taken a cautious but deliberate approach since assuming office, first studying revenue trends and identifying gaps before rolling out reforms.
Central to the new strategy is the use of technology and data-driven planning. The Assembly, he said, has engaged a firm to train its technical staff and support the digitization of revenue collection processes. “If you don’t have data, you will get your projections wrong. So we are gathering data to identify specific revenue sources and determine how much we can realistically collect,” he explained.
Plans are also underway to recruit more revenue collectors, strictly enforce existing bylaws, and expand revenue streams, including leveraging the district’s mineral and gold deposits to attract investors.
“We have put technical teams in place to look critically at our bylaws and revenue strategies. Once we implement them fully, we should not be complaining about a lack of resources,” Mr. Ayamwego assured.
He concluded by emphasizing that improving revenue mobilization is key to meeting the growing demands of residents and driving sustainable development in the Bawku West District.
A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Moses Apiah|Bolgatanga
