The Western Region’s Shama District Assembly has taken the initiative to account to its citizens how much taxes it realised in the 2021 fiscal year for transparency and accountability.
The assembly pointed out where and how the funds were used; this is to enable tax paying residents to be assured that development takes place when everyone pays their tax religiously.
The assembly has thus unveilled a number of what it called ‘accountability boards’ in collaboration with Friends of the Nation (FoN) – a nonprofit-making organisation. The boards show revenue, expenditures and projects undertaken.
As shown on the boards, the district generated a total of GH¢1,813,232 from rates, licences fees and fines, among others, out of the GH¢2,000,000 it projected for 2021 as Internally Generated Funds. Other statutory funds the assembly has brought in a total revenue of GH¢8,023,415.
The assembly, also spent GH¢3,961,795 as employee compensation for the year and GH¢3,031,620 on goods and services among others, amounting to a total expenditure of GH¢7,408,980.
At an unveilling ceremony in Shama led by Friends of the Nation, the District Chief Executive Officer of Shama, Ebenezer Dadzie, described the initiative as trust-building: “It helps foster transparency between taxpayers and revenue managers.
“One of the reasons people find it difficult to pay taxes is when they are unable to see how those taxes are used for the good of residents. But thanks to Friends of the Nation and its partners, today when people in Shama look at these boards they are presented with details of how the assembly is effectively utilising the taxes they pay to it,” he said.
He added, “We are committed to opening up our operations to residents and being transparent as much as is expected of us”.
The accountability board is the initiative of Friends of the Nation and its partner Oxfam in Ghana. The initiative promotes openness and transparency in the collection and use of taxes in the Shama District.
