The Centre for Local Governance Advocacy (CLGA) has urged government to pilot the collection of property rates to ensure that the revenue mobilisation exercise is carried out in an efficient and phased manner.

Deputy Executive Director of the Centre, Gladys Gillian Tetteh is of the view that the seeming re-centralization exercise currently being undertaken in the revenue mobilization space at the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies level is worrying.

She therefore wants government to re-look at the property rate collection exercise which is to be undertaken by the Ghana Revenue Authority.

Addressing participants at a forum on district level elections on June 14, 2023, the CLGA Director stressed that revenues of district assemblies is at its lowest level which has affected development at the local level.

“CLGA is of the view that GRA should rather pilot this exercise in few districts before upscaling it to all MMDAs. It is important to note that GRA collecting the property rates as commissioned collectors for MMDAs is not bad strategy only if the Authority is being dealt with as a usual commissioned collector of the Assemblies,” Madame Gladys Tetteh explained.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Revenue Authority has exempted churches, cemeteries, and schools, among others registered with the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) from the payment of property rate.

According to the Authority, the Local Governance Act 2016 (Act 936) mandates all persons and corporate bodies who own immovable properties to pay property rates to MMDAs without any exception.

The GRA explained that the Act exempts some categories of properties from the payment of property rate.