The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has announced plans to introduce a new digitised revenue collection system in March this year to improve on and rake in more revenue for the assembly.

The new platform, which is expected to make payments more convenient, is also aimed at checking revenue leakages and reducing alleged corruption while promoting voluntary compliance and a conducive rate-paying environment.

The Mayor of Accra, Elizabeth Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey, disclosed this last week when she led a team of officers from the assembly to sensitise traders on the roll-out of new receipts for payment of markets and lorry park tolls in the metropolis. The new receipts to be issued have holograms in them for easy identification of which tickets were purchased.

Addressing the media, the first female mayor of Accra said the AMA was leveraging on the government’s digitalisation drive to create an innovative solution to increase its internally-generated funds and block all revenue leakages while reducing the human element.

She disclosed that about 23 banks have been integrated into the new revenue collection platform to give users the flexibility of payment options, adding that: “Apart from using the banks, ratepayers can equally pay their bills via mobile money on all networks, QR codes, and a USSD code”.

She noted that prior to the introduction of the new revenue collection system in March, all traders and market women in the metropolis would be registered and given special Quick Response (QR) codes to be used for payment of bills from the assembly. She admonished the market women and the business community to embrace innovation to bring development to the people of Accra.

Metro Director of Budget, Noble Atsu Ahadzie, emphasised that with the new system bills and receipts would be sent electronically to ratepayers without any human interference. He added that AMA was rolling out a well-detailed stakeholder engagement plan to ensure that all stakeholders are well-informed ahead of the commencement of the digital revenue collection system.

The AMA boss was accompanied by the Presiding Member and Assemblyman for the Avenor Electoral Area, Alfred Adjei; the Chairman of the Revenue Sub-Committee and Assemblyman Amaamo Electoral Area, Muzah Ziyad; Francis Anaba, Metro Finance Director; among others.