The Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA), last year Internally generated GH 782,457.05 revenue representing 81% instead of a projected amount of GH 962,269.00.

The assembly has, however, targeted to collect GH 1,801,349.00 this year, but as of the end of February GH 231,640.32 have been collected representing 12% with an expenditure of GH 179,712.72.

Ms. Priscilla Arhin, Mayor of Cape Coast, made this known at the first ordinary meeting of the 4th session of the 6th assembly at Cape Coast on Tuesday.

She expressed disappointment over the assemblys inability to meet its Internally Generated Funds (IGF)target, stressing that the revenue performance over the past years has not been encouraging and attributed the situation to tax evaders and the non- enforcement of bye-laws to prosecute tax defaulters.

Ms. Arhin explained that the unwillingness on the part of tax payers to meet their tax obligations, inadequate number of tax collectors and the absence of bye-laws to prosecute tax defaulters, have accounted for the abysmal performance.

The MCE, however, said strategic measures have put in place to improve upon the IGF collection, adding that the Assembly has almost completed the gazette of its bye-law to enable it prosecute rate and tax defaulters.

She said in addition Point of Sale (POS) machines have been introduced alongside the traditional General Counterfoil Receipts (GCR) to address the issues of revenue leakages and that the revenue task force would also be resourced to enable it function efficiently.

Ms Arhin, in this regard, urged Assembly Members to get involved in revenue generation by intensifying public education and sensitization of the electorate on the need to honour their tax obligations to the assembly so as to improve its revenue.

The MCE bemoaned the fact that the District Assemblies Common Fund was a major source of funding for most assemblies in the country, but its release has not been forthcoming as expected.

She said last year, CCMA was allocated an amount of GH 373,391.76 and GH 313,642.33 as its share of 1st and 2nd quarter of the common fund, but that the Assembly received a net of GH 222,203.13 and GH 90,038.67 respectively , which she described as in sufficient.

The Mayor announced that the Assembly managed to secure a special fund of GH 10,503.85 and GH 297,640.80 from the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) Administrator for the construction of storm drains at Abura and the rehabilitation of some selected schools in the metropolis.

On sanitation she said the assembly continued to face Environmental Sanitation and waste management problems noting that a clean environment was critical to the wellbeing of the metropolis and that this could not be achieved by the assembly alone .

She said even though the assembly would provide the leadership, there was the need for everyone to get involved to win the war against the poor environmental sanitation conditions in the metropolis.

She said to help address the situation the assembly has decided to procure five skip containers for the skip loaders and have also allocated funds for the procurement of a number of waste bins and other waste management equipment.

MCE pointed out that sensitization and public education on the Door to Door refuse collection, household latrines, dumping of refuse at unauthorized places and good attitude towards environmental sanitation were on going.

She announced that general cleanup exercises would always be held on every Saturday of the month, this she noted will go a long way to curb the sanitation problems in the area.

Touching on Disaster Management, the Mayor said the Metropolis was not spared of the recent fire outbreaks that hit the country and that the metropolis recorded three hydro net disasters which affected ten people as well as five fire disaster which also affected sixteen people, with properties worth GH 43,449.00 destroyed.

She said the assembly in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organization has begun desilting some major drains in the Metropolis to curtail the occurrences of floods since the rainy season was fast approaching.

On Education, Ms. Arhin was unhappy that a number of schools in the Metropolis scored zero percent in the 2013 BECE which she stressed was very disappointing since Cape Coast was being glorified as the hub of education.

She said education was the backbone of every economy and that it was imperative to give it the needed attention, adding that the Education sector continued to enjoy a huge share of the Assemblys resources.

She said the assembly was committed to providing the needed infrastructural and other resources to improve teaching and learning, and called on all stakeholders to collectively contribute to ameliorate the falling standards of education in the Metropolis.

The Mayor assured the Assembly Members that, even though there were a lot of projects ongoing with some yet to commence, the Assembly was soliciting adequate funds to complete all the projects before 2016.

GNA