Revenue Mobilization Should be a Collective Effort

By Mustapha Ezekiel Dumbuya

The Western Area District Council (WADC) Chairman Kasho Holland Cole, has said revenue mobilization is a collective responsibility that should be carried out by councilors and district council staff respectively.,

Chairman Cole made this statement on Friday, July 2020   on WARD’s usual meeting with different councilors representing different wards, constituency, and community stakeholders.
he said that the main motive of the meeting is to update stakeholders and the community on developmental activities that are being carried by the  Council. He noted that his councilors were always ready to generate revenue for the council.

Mr. Cole, also said that the Human Resources officer should provide a record book where all council staff should be record when signing for money and from in that record book, council will also able to identify all active staff.

He urged councilors to always implement project that will benefits their Wards; adding that it had come to his notice that several councilors are involved in the acts of making office stamp for their Wards, which he noted is wrong.

He warned them that no staff should sign under the name of a councilor but rather can sign on their behalf.

 He cautioned   councilors that are in the habit   of selling state lands that are meant for development of the WARD.

“We are coming to looking into the 2020 budget, and I assure some councilors will receive 10 million Leones for community development projects.” He said.

According to the Chairman they had held meetings with the  Ministry of Lands and the Ministry of Local Council for the relocation of the waterloo dumping site to Kerry town and that the project had already been approved.

He said   filth is pervasive from Jui to Waterloo; this he said should be the responsibility of the councilors covering those areas to clear them off.

Councilor Sillah Kamara, of Ward 373, Constituency 105 Said the Council should start by implement projects within the council that will   benefit or generate revenue, adding that it such moves will motivate them to do their work properly.

He also said that several companies have been operating in his constituency such as doing sand, and stone mining; plus timber logging.

 He   stated that the Local Government Act requires such business to pay revenue to the Council.

He said since the inception of those companies Council has never collected a cent from them as by law prescribed. Mr. Kamara also informed Chairman Cole to focus on revenue generation that will serve as a source of income to develop the district instead of its total dependency on the government’s budgets.