Cape Coast Assembly digitizes property rates collection
The Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA) has begun piloting payment of property rates via electronic payment system in the Cape Coast North Sub-Metropolis.
The overall objective is to realize a sustainable increase in local tax revenues to fund improved basic services to the citizens of the area.
It will also improve access to transactional data, enhance transparency, provide more detailed picture of taxpayers’ accounts and employ data analytics to check the quality of taxpayer data and benchmark it against industry norms.
Through that managers of the platform can combine data with other tools to review data of taxpayers to identify broad patterns, detect areas of non-compliance, risk, audit, optimize debt management processes and design taxpayer communications to encourage compliance.
Mr Ernest Arthur, Acting Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), disclosed this in an interview with the media in Cape Coast.
He said the CCMA was part of some 32 selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across the country to pilot the project to spearhead tax revenue for economic enhancement drive.
The initiative is being pursued by the Ministry of Local Government and Decentralization and Ministry of Finance with support from the Netherlands government under the Tax Revenue for Economic Enhancement (TREE) project.
The four-year TREE project is tied to the development cooperation policy of the two Countries on the protecting people’s rights, creating equal opportunities for everyone to stand on their own feet and to have the privilege to live successful lives.
Highlighting the mode of payments, he encouraged property owners to and follow the voice prompt to pay regardless of one’s phone or network.
Also, the Assembly will continue its traditional payments to ensure that no prospective taxpayer was left out.
He committed the Assembly to mobilise more internally generated revenue mobilization as an important tool to reduce central government’s dependence to carry out development projects.
The Acting MCE asked Ghanaians to honour their tax obligations to help boost development and to enable the citizenry to contribute their quota to national development.
“The sound of tax always sends shivers down the spine of individuals and businesses. This is because people perceive the payment of taxes from their earnings as a burden.
“This is because of the impact on their incomes but the payment of tax is a civic responsibility and every income-earning citizen or business is entitled to pay it,” he explained.
Source: GNA