The Dormaa Municipal Assembly in the Brong-Ahafo Region, has initiated a programme to register people who cannot afford the National Health Insurance Scheme.

Under the programme, the various assembly members are tasked to go round the various localities, identify and compile names and other particulars of poor people to enable the assembly register them free of charge.

Mr Peter Nketiah, Dormaa Municipal Budget Officer who disclosed this said most people in the rural communities are not enjoying the NHIS because they cannot afford to register.

He was addressing the chiefs and people of Maasu, Kuren and Asikasu, farming communities in the municipality at separate fora to educate them on the need to pay tax.

It was organised by Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF), a human right and anti-corruption Non-governmental Organisation in collaboration with Gift FM, a Dormaa-based radio station.

Mr Nketiah disclosed that the assembly had set aside part of its Internally Generated Fund (IGF) to do the registration and advised the people to pay their taxes regularly and promptly, to generate enough revenue for development.

He observed that since the quantum of the District Assembly Common Fund depended on an IGF, the assembly could generate, the people ought to pay their tax.

The Budget Officer stressed that payment of tax is a constitutional mandate indicating that those who fail to pay commit an offence.

Mr Nketiah disclosed that even though the assembly generated GH 321,000 funds locally in 2013, it was not enough to meet the development needs of the people in the municipality.

Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, Chief Executive Officer of GLOMEF, explained that the fora formed part of Star-Ghana’s 14-month project being implemented by the NGO, in collaboration with Gift FM.

Dubbed promoting revenue management and its utilization for development, he explained that the project aimed at enhancing transparency and responsiveness in the management and utilization of the assemblys IGF and Common Fund for development in the Dormaa Municipality.

Mr Ahenu revealed that according to a survey conducted by the NGO in the municipality, many of the people failed to pay their tax because of ignorance, as a result of lack of tax education.

He observed that with the implementation of the project, many traders had understood the need for them to pay their taxes.

Mr Ahenu advised the Municipal Assembly to use the IGF judiciously and asked the assembly members to support in the revenue mobilization drive.

Nana Gyamfi Kumanini, Chief of Maasu appealed to the Municipal Assembly to tar the main road in the area.

GNA