The Vision for Action Foundation (VAF), a civil society organisation, has organised a refresher training for revenue collectors of the Sekyere Afram Plains District Assembly in Ghana. The one-day training, which was conducted in collaboration with the Assembly's Revenue Department, aimed to strengthen revenue mobilisation and improve the Assembly's internally generated funds (IGF). This initiative is part of the 'I AM Aware Project', implemented by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) with funding from the Hewlett Foundation.
The training sought to update revenue collectors on revenue collection tools, identify and seal revenue leakages, and equip them with practical skills to improve revenue mobilisation. The programme also encouraged collectors to work harder to increase the Assembly's financial position and generate additional resources to support development in the district. Mr. Daniel Appiah Awiemfuor, Executive Director of VAF, explained the purpose of the training and urged the collectors to actively participate to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills.
Resource persons from the Finance Office led practical sessions and demonstrations on revenue collection tools and processes. The training covered essential areas, including identifying leakages in revenue mobilisation and broadening the Assembly's revenue collection base. Participants were encouraged to explore daily revenue collection from traders and other economic activities to complement traditional collections made on market days.
The exercise also identified night food vendors and other operators whose activities generate revenue as potential sources that could be brought into the Assembly's revenue mobilisation efforts. This initiative aims to empower citizens with free, accessible, and user-friendly socio-economic data to promote public accountability and improve local government service delivery. The 'I AM Aware Project' seeks to enhance citizens' engagement with local government and promote transparency.
Mr. Douglas Osei Yeboah, the District Coordinating Director, encouraged the collectors to take their responsibilities seriously and expressed appreciation to VAF for its longstanding collaboration with the Assembly. The training provided an opportunity for revenue collectors to seek clarification on issues affecting their work while refreshing their knowledge of statutory fees and levies.
The programme formed part of VAF's efforts to support local government initiatives and improve development outcomes in the district. Increased revenue mobilisation is crucial to enable the Assembly to expand infrastructure and improve development outcomes. The training has equipped revenue collectors with the necessary skills and knowledge to enhance the Assembly's revenue performance.
The collaboration between VAF and the Sekyere Afram Plains District Assembly demonstrates the importance of partnerships in promoting local government service delivery and public accountability. The initiative is expected to have a positive impact on the district's development and revenue mobilisation efforts.
Key points
- The Vision for Action Foundation organised a refresher training for revenue collectors to improve internally generated funds mobilisation in Sekyere Afram Plains.
- The training aimed to update collectors on revenue collection tools and identify revenue leakages.
- The initiative seeks to empower citizens with socio-economic data to promote public accountability and improve local government service delivery.
