The La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) has embarked on a massive revenue mobilization and collection drive to amass all unpaid bills due the assembly by property owners and business operators in the municipality.
The Municipal Coordinating Director for the assembly said the exercise is to ensure that the assembly meet its revenue target for the year 2022.
The MCD mentioned that the assembly has embarked on a number of developmental programmes and projects. The projects and the programmes he said cut across a number of government leading programmes and social interventions, like skill training and empowerment of small business, distribution of school furniture, construction of drains and school building in the municipality.
The MCD stated that the enforcement of the revenue collection was because some ratepayers has not made their payment within the stipulated time. He mentioned that after several follow-ups, individuals and institutions are unwilling to pay.
According to the MCD, notice has been given with a focus on reminding the payer(s) of the past due date of collection and clarifying the implications of actions that will be taken if payment is not made within a specified interval. He said issuance of final demand notice to defaulters has been made and believe the time has come for the assembly to take the necessary action.
The Municipal Coordinating Director believed the assembly has reposition itself by tackling the loopholes opposing Internally Generated Funds (IGF) by implementing a number of policies that includes the prosecution of bill defaulters, regular interaction with ratepayers and operationalization of revenue task force.
He said, by the Local Government byelaw, a person who contravenes any provision of the BOP and Property byelaws commits an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine or in default to a term of imprisonment or both.
The Municipal Coordinating Director grieve for the challenges militating against the assembly notwithstanding the massive stride made by the assembly, and called on all property owners and business operators and stakeholder to help address them to build a well-structured human race for the generation to come.