The Ablekuma West Municipal Assembly has reacted to concerns raised by traders over the amount they have to pay as a business operating permit.
The Assembly explained that, the original amount the traders had to pay was between Ghc200-Ghc250.
However, the assemblies deployed officers who collected the tax on their behalf did not collect the approved fee.
The Prosecutor of the Assembly, Richard Sein-Sei, speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, posited that what the traders are saying is true, but there is an explanation. We had revenue collectors who were not the permanent staff who collected money on our behalf. However, they were not collecting the approved fee of Ghc250. They took any amount the traders gave them. Due to this, we were not meeting our targets. This led to the formation of a task force to examine what the problem was.
We are not extorting the traders, we are only taking the approved fees. The traders were paying Ghc50, but that was not the approved fees,” he added.
He said the assembly had no system to determine whether traders paid the approved fees and so, it affected their targets.
He further asserted that the move forms part of efforts to help them raise revenue to sponsor projects on the assembly, especially deplorable roads.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
