New property rate rollout: GRA, MMDAs target GH¢1.77billion

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development and the Lands Commission, has collected data required to bill all properties in the country.

The list and details of more than 8.87 million properties, codified into the Unified Common Property Rate Platform, also known as Myassembly.gov.gh, to enable property owners to verify their rates and pay same, come with their valuations, owners and other details.

However, 76 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) have provided the rates or levies for the various properties (imposts), which will form the basis for the first phase of the end-to-end district revenue collection and administration platform designed to enhance the collection of and accounting for property rates.

The GRA has told Graphic Online that rate payers in the 76 MMDAs have been given the opportunity to verify and recommend amendments, where necessary, before the rolled-out.

The platform, which is also linked to the Ghana.gov.gh payment platform, is currently the sole payment platform for the payment of property rate with effect from January 2023.

In the past, property rate was collected by revenue collectors of the various MMDAs, which was not efficient.

A 10-year trend analysis indicates that the assemblies together collected just about GH¢500 million over the period.

However, by the new system, should the assemblies charge just GH¢200 per property, the country can rake in GHc1.77 billion a year, and with a minimum of GH¢300, the assemblies can generate GH¢2.66 billion from properties a year, while a GH¢400 rate will bring in GH¢3.55 billion a year from property rate.

Interview

The Commissioner-General of the GRA, Rev. Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic, entreated property owners and property rate payers to embrace and use the unified common property rate platform to enhance the collection of and accounting for property rates.

He said the GRA was looking forward to an improvement in the collection of property rates in the country through its partnership with the MMDAs in the collection of the rates.