Kafuta Community Forestry, in collaboration with the Village Development Committee (VDC), on Sunday presented an amount of D51, 087 to Brikama Area Council, as part of their 2007 annual rents and tax fees for Kafuta village, Kombo East District, Western Region. Being one of the biggest village out of the 32 villages in Kombo East, Kafuta village stands out for emulation when it comes to payment of tax and rents.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Janko Kassama, Imam Ratib of Kafuta Village, commended members of the VDC and the community forestry for their gesture. He disclosed that this was all made possible by a longstanding collaboration between the two organizations in the village, adding that the community forestry, in recent years, had helped many people in the village and its surrounding.  " Last year they paid an amount of D26, 661 as tax and rents fees for the whole village. With this year's increment on tax and rents fees, they paid another huge sum for the entire village. I must thank them for their job well done," he said.

Nfamara Jallow Colley, Chairman of the Village Development Committee (VDC), lauded the community forestry for their partnership, noting that they have been very supportive to the village in recent years.  According to him, with such a fruitful collaboration, they can achieve their goals.  "They have been engaged in so many projects in the village, notably in the area of sports, financing of the village's annual Qur'anic recitation, sponsoring of needy students, among others," he said. He called on the villagers to continue collaborating with the VDC in their quest to transforming the settlement into a better place.

In his remark, Ba Kata Bojang, Alkalo of the village, commended the VDC and its collaborators for their benevolent gesture. He noted that since he assumed the post of Alkalo, the VDC had been working tirelessly with him for the development of the village. "As the fifth Alkalo of the village, I can attest to it that they have done a lot for it.

Because it is in my term that they started these development initiatives. I think paying our tax and rents is another way of supporting our Council in ensuring rapid development projects in our area. On the other hand, it is also another way of contributing towards the socio-economic development of the country," he remarked.

In receiving the money, Nfansu Bojang, Kombo East rate and tax Station Officer, expressed gratitude to the people of Kafuta, on behalf of Brikama Area Council, for their timely payment. "Despite being the biggest village in the whole of Kombo East, Kafuta has been exemplary in the District, as they pay their rents and tax fees on time.

 Even though there are smaller villages in the district, which didn't pay their tax and rents for years, Kafuta has always been the first village to pay in the district," he said. He called on other villages in the District to emulate the people of Kafuta for the development of the nation, stressing that rate and tax were crucial in the development of every community. "However," he noted, "with this year's increment on taxes and rates, villages should pay their rates and taxes on time, to enable the Council to embark on meaningful development projects."

He commended the Alkalo of the village for maintaining peace and unity in his village, saying that with unity, understanding and co-operation, the village can achieve its development objectives.

Abdou Daffeh, an elder of the village, and Ebrima Kujabi, an APRC stalwart in the area, all echoed similar sentiments. The presentation ceremony was attended by villagers, Forestry officials and other dignitaries.