Government receives support to pilot property valuation and rate collection
The Government has received support from development partners to carry out pilot projects in property valuation and property rate collection in selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA’s)in the Western region
This would enhanced the collection of appropriate rates, boost the internal revenue generation of MMDA’s and reduce over dependence of transfers from the central government.
Mrs Gifty Eugenia Kusi, the Deputy Western Regional Minister, announced this when she addressed the Zone three Regional composite budget hearing at Tarkwa in the Western Region.
She therefore, entreated MMDA’s to complement this effort with Internally Generated Funds to ensure a comprehensive valuation of properties within their jurisdiction.
According to the Deputy Minister, the government was aggressively pursuing a number of measures to ensure the achievement of the nation’s fiscal policy objectives.
“In line with medium term fiscal policy objective of consolidation and addressing short term vulnerability, government’s fiscal policy is focused on reducing the fiscal deficit and improving the fiscal space to finance development” she added.
Mrs Kusi noted with concern, the alarming situation that available data had revealed low Internally Generated Funds from MMDA’s activities, with some recording as low as 30 percent of the revenue target.
She noted that “Though, a major revenue potential, assemblies are unable to tap even up to 30% as many do not have a proper valuation system to value properties and collect the appropriate taxes or levies”.
One of the pillars of the President’s vision of a Ghana Beyound Aid is to improve revenue generation, she stated.
The Deputy Minister urged all MMDA’s to lead the crusade to help increase internal revenue generation and ensure that it flows to all levels of the decentralized system.
Mr Glibert Kennedy Asmah, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Tarkwa Nsueam, on his part said the programme was part of the national exercise, aimed at giving MMDAs the opportunity to present and defend their budgets before professionals drawn from the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and the Ministry of Finance.
He emphasised that the objectives was to ensure that budgets of the MMDAs were in line with the national policy direction, medium term development plan, goals and targets of their respective assemblies.
Mr. Asmah appealed to all the participating assemblies which included, Amenfi Central, Amenfi West, Aowin, Tarkwa Nsueam and Prestea Huni/Valley to remain committed to the programmes and projects in the budgets when it comes to implementation.
“Let’s take every criticism in good faith and inculcate the recommendations that will be made by the panellists so as to enhance the quality of our budgets before they are submitted to the Ministry of Finance through the RCC” he pointed out.
Source: GNA