By: Kebba AF Touray
Omar Garry, the Councillor for Baja Kunda Ward, disclosed that the Ward generated a total revenue of one million and one hundred thousand Dalasi (D1,100,000.00), over the past five years.
Councillor Garry made this disclosure on Sunday 1st January 2023, at a meeting of PDOIS members in Wellingara Yareh village in Wuli East, in URR, the primary objective of which was to select candidates for the upcoming Local Government Elections.
Garry who was unanimously selected to contest for a second term explained that “three hundred thousand dalasi was generated from the licenses collected from traders, and eight hundred thousand dalasi was generated as tax revenue”, and said this generated a total revenue of D1,100,000.00 during the past five years.
He told the gathering that as dictated by the constitution, 60 percent of the tax collected shall be ploughed back to taxpayers, and based on this, a total of seven hundred thousand dalasi (D700,000.00) is what should be ploughed back to Baja Kunda Ward in the form of services to the taxpayers in the said Ward.
This he said is inadequate in view of the ambitious development projects that he in collaboration with his Ward Development Committee (WDC), have planned for the said five years. But said with hard work and assistance from outside the taxes paid by the people, they have been able secure funding to execute most of their projects.
“If you are to elect a representative, you have to elect someone competent and has the requisite knowledge to better represent his or her people. This person must be fully ready to work hard for his or her electorate by serving their interest and promoting their welfare,” he challenged.
He clarified to the gathering that the bridge constructed in Baja Kunda village, was fully financed by the taxes collected by the Base Area Council.
He said some of the projects implemented during his first term include the construction of fish market in Borro Kanda Kasseh for the women of the village, in collaboration with the villagers; fence for women horticultural gardeners in Borro Manjang Kunda in partnership with Hon. Suwaibou Touray and Baja Kunda Ward Development Committee.
“We have also written to the National Disaster Management Agency, to assist us with a bore hole. The agency responded to our request and provided Borro Manjang and Borro Fula Kunda with these two bore holes,” he told the gathering.
Through the support of Hon. Suwaibou Touray and in partnership with the Basse Area Council, he reported that they secured a bore hole for the village of Bantunding, which is currently supplying water for the village.
“In partnership with our Spanish counterparts, we have also signed three contracts. One is to provide a bore hole and vegetable gardens for the villages of Sareh Giddeh, Fatatenda and Boye Kunda. These are all projects that we have secured during these five years as planned,” he said.
