Low property rates in Ghana laughable – AMA boss

The property rates paid by property owners in the national capital are insignificant and laughable, Accra Mayor Alfred Vanderpuije has said.

Mr Vanderpuije told Class91.3fm’s Executive Breakfast Show host Ekow Mensah-Shalders that the city of Accra could raise a lot more money than it has been able to do in the past if the property rates were adjusted upwards to reflect the true state of affairs.

“I came into office in May 2009, and at a point… our revenue mobilisation was 9 million to 10 million [cedis]. The following year we moved to 20 million [cedis] and every year we have increased. Just last year, 2015, our revenue mobilisation was 35 million [cedis], this year we want to hit 42 million [cedis]…so every year, we are working hard, but that also comes with its challenges because there is so much that because of challenges, we are not able to collect,…but that is a number that can change if we changed the property rate formula…the figure is too low, by square footage, it is insignificant,” insisted Mr Vanderpuije.

“…Go to East Legon…today lands are being sold in Accra, Cantonments and Labone in millions of dollars and when people build on it, they spend so much…and when they finish and they have to pay property rates, my brother they laugh at us.

“We have genuine Ghanaians in this country living in East Legon and when they look at their property rates, which they have to pay, compared to what they have been paying overseas, they laugh at us. But look, I can’t charge them more even though they want to pay more, I can’t charge them, I can’t take the money because that will be fraud, but we have to do it legally, so that they will pay the appropriate rates,” Mr Vanderpuije added.