Mining companies to pay property rates

Sekondi (Western Region), 28 Jan. '99 -

Sekondi (Western Region), 28 Jan. '99 - The Ministry of Local Government, in consultation with the Chamber of Mines, has given the go-ahead for the imposition of property rates on mining companies. Mrs. Esther Lily Nkansah, Western Regional Minister, announced this at the first meeting of District Chief Executives in the Region in Sekondi today. She called on District Assemblies in the mining areas to put in place an effective machinery for the collection of property rates from mining companies. Mrs. Nkansah said details of the new rates to be imposed would be discussed at the meeting and hoped this dispensation would enable the Assemblies to improve upon their finances. She said the Ministry of Finance has completed taking inventory of all on-going and abandoned projects in the country and asked the District Chief Executives to let the document as well as the Region's medium term development and annual action plans be their guide to complete the projects. Mrs. Nkansah regretted that some District Assemblies continue to show lapses to which their attention have previously been drawn, and mentioned mal-administration of contract works resulting in delayed completion of projects, release of retention money ahead of time, shoddy work, lack of contract agreement and non-competitive bidding, as some of the regular pitfalls. She expressed discontent at the refusal of some traditional authorities to give recognition to the status and roles of the unit committees as institutions of the District Assemblies. Such attitude needs to be nipped in the bud as it could lead to the destabilisation of the local government system.