AMA chases property rate defaulters

The Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Hon Elizabeth Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey has taken strong exception to the non-payment of rates by some property owners and ratepayers and cautioned recalcitrant defaulters to settle their bills before the end of the year or face legal action.

According to the first female AMA boss who led a team of revenue collectors on a special revenue mobilization exercise in Accra, “the Assembly would not hesitate to haul defaulters before the courts if they fail to comply".

Hon Elizabeth Sackey disclosed that huge sums of the revenue that could be used to undertake developmental projects to better the lives of city dwellers were locked up with property owners, businesses and admonished all defaulters to settle all their debts.

“As women, we all know that with perfection and diligence we will perform our work better and that is what I am for and doing now…I have personally come to build a good relationship with all stakeholders and then urge them to pay their bills to bring development… There are sanctions for those who don’t pay their property rates, business operating permits (BOPs), we are first encouraging all defaulters to settle their bills after which we will take legal action against those who fail to comply, ” she added.

“The Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) are mandated by Local Government Act, Act 356 to collect property rates, BOPs, Advertising permits among others on an annual basis (IGF to improve social amenities, local services, and infrastructure at the local level…If you have the money you can do all things, we are sitting on money and if by the grace of God we are able to collect all, we can bring more development to the city…if the city will develop and progress, it will be dependent on the taxes, rates and bills we pay,” she said.

When the AMA boss and her team got to Dizengoff Ghana Ltd, a subsidiary of Balton CP Ltd, England operating in Ghana for over 54 years, management of the company handed over a cheque of payment of its property rate.

At the Alutrade Company Limited, Hon Elizabeth Sackey toured the facility to abreast herself with their operations.

Hon Elizabeth Sackey who also visited TV Africa, an Accra based media house used the opportunity to appeal to the media to use their platforms to sensitize the general public on the need to pay their property rates, BOPs, Advertising permits, as well as other taxes to help develop the city.