The councilors of Bamenda II Bamenda in collaboration with their Divisional Officer, have unanimously settled on a quarterly tax drive to kick-start in that municipality beginning January 2013.
This was resolved on Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at the Bamenda II council conference hall during the budgetary session ahead of the 2013 financial year chaired by Mayor Balick Awa Fidelis. Regretting that the FCFA 500 million budgeted in 2012 could not be reached; Mayor Balick attributed it to the usual lackluster attitude of the revenue collectors of the council and the fact that tax drive was not frequent enough for the council to raise enough revenue for the council.
In a bid to mitigate the situation, the chairman of the Bamenda tax recovery committee, the Bamenda II DO, in collaboration with the Assistant SDO for Mezam, joined Mayor Balick Awa Fidelis to institute a quarterly tax drive in the municipality beginning January each year. Before January 2013, they called on the councilors to join forces with the revenue collectors to go on tax drive in December 2012 because according to the Mayor, a good number of tax payers evaded taxes in 2012.
On the 2013 budget, the Assistant SDO who deputized for the SDO at the session, said the 600 million budget for 2013, like any other budget was a mere paper work and so, both the councilors and the revenue collectors must put hands on deck to raise the budgeted 600 million FCFA in 2013 by intensifying tax drive come 2013.
On the poor road network in the municipality, the councillors observed that Bamenda II remains the largest council area among Bamenda I, II and III councils given that it has up to 4 villages viz; Mankon, Chomba, Nsongwa and Mbatu while Bamenda III has only 2 villages- Nkwen and Ndjaa and Bamenda I only one village, Bamendankwe. They saw no reason why the city council ekes out the same annual financial assistance (5 million) for road construction and maintenance to all the three councils that constitute the Bamenda city council area when Bamenda II has the greatest road network.
Beside, the councillors called on the city council authorities to indicate which roads ought to be taken care of by the councils and which by the city council to check misunderstanding or duplication.
On the scholarships given by the council, the Mayor regretted that most beneficiaries were given scholarships even though they scored less than average. It was ipso facto resolved that henceforth, only students who shall score from 12 on 20 marks would be given scholarships.
Given the high population of Bamenda II, the councillors noted that their municipality deserves not less than 60 councillors and resolved to ensure that things are corrected before the 2013 municipal elections. They equally stressed that henceforth, any structure, especially council buildings should be made accessible to the disable population.
Congratulating the councillors for the smooth deliberations, the Assistant SDO reminded them especially the Mayor that municipal elections come up in 2013 and entreated them to put things in order so that if they fail to win the elections, the incoming councillors or Mayor will have a smooth transition.
Mayor Balick Awa used the occasion to present to the councillors, administration and the population, a brand new Land Cruiser Prado recently procured for the Bamenda II Mayor’s service car.
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