By sulaiman.sesay@awokonewspaper.sl
Freetown, SIERRA LEONE – In a significant boost to data collection, revenue generation, and accountability systems, the Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) facilitated the donation of essential equipment to the Western Area Rural District Council (WARD-C), funded by USAID. The handover ceremony, held on Monday, April 22nd, 2024, marked a pivotal moment for WARD-C’s efforts towards improved governance and financial sustainability.
The donated equipment, including 60 laser measurements, a brand new laptop, hard drive, giant printer, and 10 cartoons of A4 papers, holds immense value in enhancing the council’s capacity to accurately assess properties and bolster own-source revenue generation.
Abdul Rahman M. Sesay, Senior Program Officer at BAN, highlighted the significance of the donation, attributing it to the USAID-funded Building Accountability Systems through Empowered Communities (BASE) Project. The consortium members, including the Institute for Governance Reform (IGR), Center for Accountability and the Rule of Law (CARL), Independent Radio Network (IRN), and BAN, collaborated to facilitate this initiative aimed at empowering local governance structures.
Sesay emphasized the importance of supporting the council in revenue generation, underscoring the correlation between financial sustainability and service delivery. He outlined plans to train 60 enumerators and supervisors on utilizing the equipment to assess properties in WARD-C, with the potential to significantly increase revenue generation if all households comply.
Abu Bakarr Sesay, Coordinator of BAN, emphasized the transformative impact of the equipment on strengthening cadastral systems and revenue collection processes. He projected a substantial increase in own-source revenue, potentially exceeding 1,000%, with the implementation of these tools and accompanying support services.
Robert A. Browne, Deputy Chairman of WARD-C, expressed gratitude for the donation, acknowledging the council’s previous challenges in property data collection due to inadequate resources. He revealed that despite property rates contributing to 70% of the council’s annual budget, insufficient data collection hindered revenue realization, with only about 20% of the budget realized in previous years.
Browne expressed optimism that the donated equipment would address these challenges and significantly improve revenue generation, vital for overcoming the council’s operational hurdles. The donation signifies a collaborative effort towards enhancing governance and fiscal sustainability at the local level, promising brighter prospects for WARD-C’s future development endeavours. SKS/23/4/2024
