The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Bolgatanga, Rex Asanga, has called upon property owners within the Municipality to promptly settle their property rates. This initiative aims to advance development in the area.
Mr. Asanga emphasised that property rates represent a significant component of the Internally Generated Funds (IGF) essential for developing social amenities, local services, and infrastructure at the community level, all for the benefit of the citizenry.
He highlighted the paramount importance of property owners committing to payment of their property rates, as this is pivotal for enhancing various essential services.
Mr. Asanga conveyed this call to property owners during an interview with Mark Smith on A1 Radio’s Daybreak Upper East show, focusing on property registration and rate payment.
Property rates are obligatory contributions or taxes collected by the government based on the assessed monetary value of real estate properties. This applies to immovable structures including houses, apartments, estates, malls, shops, and other fixed properties.
The MCE acknowledged that property tax payment within the municipality has generally not been progressive, attributed partly to concerns about property overvaluation. He also admitted that there has been insufficient education for property owners in this regard.
“I must acknowledge that property owners haven’t been adequately educated about the importance of payment. However, this isn’t solely the Assembly’s responsibility; while the assemblies initially attempted property rate collection, the government recognized our limitations and assigned the task to GRA. Thus, the GRA was tasked with launching a public educational campaign to enlighten the public.”
He indicated that property owners are encouraged to discuss their payment plans with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and to raise objections regarding property valuation for potential resolution.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Gilbert Azeem Tiroog|Ghana
