Birim Central Municipal Assembly explores ways of improving IGF

Assembly members in the Birim Central Municipality, have expressed concern over low rent charges for occupants of assembly buildings and called for an upward review.

Mr Clement Attafuah, Assemblyman for Towobotom Electoral Area, said such residence served as a source of revenue and Internally Generated Fund (IGF) for the assembly hence, the need to issue it out at a laudable cost.

The tenants are mostly heads of departments and assembly staff.

He said a two- bed room, or a single room self-contained room, was not up to 50 Ghana Cedis, per month and that needed to be adjusted.

Papa Yaw Amoah Nyarko, Assemblyman for Aseneye electoral area, said when the rent rate was adjusted, it would help raise funds to support ongoing projects.

The assembly members gave the recommendation during the third ordinary meeting of the second session of the eighth Birim Central Municipal Assembly.

At the meeting the Eastern Regional Marketing Officer of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Mr Abraham Damptey Lincoln, cautioned the public against acts of illegal power connection, which hampered transformers, affected electricity supply, and caused fire outbreaks.

He cited the illegal acts as illegal direct connection, illegal meter transfer, meter by-pass, self-connection after disconnection and illegal distribution of service supply.

He noted that the Minister of Energy had set up a Revenue Protection Task Force to check such unlawful activities, and should anyone be found culpable, he would be dealt with accordingly to the law.

Ms Victoria Adu, Birim Central Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said the Municipality was recently put under a performance contract and it placed seventh among the first 10 districts.

The Assembly was given a citation, two laptop computers, a scanner, printer and other accessories, she noted.

She said the logistics have been shared to some departments that needed them in their operations.