TAMA INTROUDCES STICKERS FOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLES (PAGE 23, SEPT 15, 2010)

THE Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TaMA) has introduced commercial vehicle permit stickers to facilitate revenue collection in the transport sector.
The stickers were developed by the Flip Africa Media Consultancy (FAMeC), a media and events company, on behalf of TaMA.
The prices of the stickers vary, depending on the type of vehicle, the lowest being GH¢2, whiles the highest is GH¢20.
Launching the stickers, the Mayor of Tamale, Alhaji Abdulai Haruna Friday said the assembly needed to intensify its revenue generation activities to enable them undertake more development projects.
He said the assembly was mandated to improve the welfare of residents by mobilising community resources to undertake development projects, but added that this mandate would not be achieved if residents shun their tax obligations.
The mayor said paying taxes was a responsibility placed on each citizen by the law, adding that even the various religions admonished adherents to pay taxes and support the government to promote development.
He cautioned against the attack of persons who had been authorised to collect such moneys, adding that any one caught in that act would be prosecuted.
The Director of FAMeC, Mr Prince Tawfick Tikuma, said the introduction of the sticker system was meant to address the lapses in revenue collection from transport owners.
“With the old system, money collected sometimes unaccounted for due to the absence of an effective structure. But with this system, vehicle owners pay to the appropriate authority to receive the sticker for a specified period and this is more transparent,” he explained.
Mr Tikuma stated that any vehicle or transport owner, who defaulted in paying for the stickers, would be liable to pay some fines.
“The fines were agreed by the various stakeholders, including public and private transport owners and the assembly,” he stated.
The Chairman of the Taxi-Trotro branch No.1 of the GPRTU, Mr Abdul-Razak Mahama, commended efforts by the assembly to make its revenue collection more effective.
He, however, entreated the authorities to use the revenue collected for development purposes including rehabilitating the lorry stations, particularly the central taxi rank.