Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies have been directed to stop collecting property rates until further notice by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) due to the COVID-19 pandemic effects on Ghanaians, DAILY GUIDE has gathered.
The directive was given to the assemblies at the beginning of 2022, according to the Municipal Coordinating Director of the Sunyani Municipal Assembly, Philip Baazeng, in the Bono Region.
Mr. Baazeng said the directive made it clear that after consultation with relevant stakeholders, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) would be directed to henceforth, take over collection of property rates from the assemblies.
He noted, “This is in pursuance of the 2022 Budget Statement presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta.”
Mr. Baazeng made the disclosure to DAILY GUIDE after the assembly issued a demand notice to property owners in the municipality to pay arrears owed the assembly as at 31st December, 2021.
Mr. Baazeng acknowledged the inability of the assembly to effectively collect property rates but emphasised defaulters are always processed for court, but could not tell how many defaulting property owners in the municipality were being prosecuted by the assembly.
“I took over only some four months ago so still studying the books,” he said.
He said the ministry normally gives range within which assemblies legislate and fix specific property rates and could not tell the number of properties within Sunyani municipality.
He said “the assembly has embarked on what we called the Street Naming and Property Address System to be able to identify all properties. So far synergies have been fixed where drones were used to take photos and zoned the municipality into areas such as Baakonuaba, Abesim, Koutokrom, Yawhimaa, among others. This is being done in collaboration with GIZ where house numbers and other relevant information about property owners are taken for our records.”
“For example the in Sunyani Magazine area, a self-contained apartment is rated for GH¢50 the whole year yet some are still in arrears for two to three years or more. So the rate depends on the location, the value of the property and we also look at equity,” the Coordinating Director said.
‘’This year, we not collecting property rates since the assemblies have been asked to hold on for the ministry to consult and get back to us. We are not entirely going to stop but just asked to hold on until further notice,” he emphasised.
FROM Daniel Y. Dayee