Some 296 property rate defaulters in the Takoradi Sub Metro have been given a week ultimatum to settle their debts or be arraigned before court.
The assembly was able to collect only GH₵560,000.00 as at October 31, 2022, out of a target of GH₵2 million.
As part of efforts to mobilise revenue for the assembly, the Takoradi Sub-Metro of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly on Wednesday, November 2, embarked on an operation with a Special Taskforce to recover revenue from property rate defaulters within the Sub-Metro and also serve them with Final Demand Notice of payment
Takoradi Sub Metro Director, Nana Asempanaye Yeboah explained that apart from sanitation, the Assembly is also measured in revenue mobilization at the end of each quarter of the year.
He said after the seven-day ultimatum, any property owner who fails to comply will be arraigned before court.
“The law requires that we remind the people if you’re owing as property owner or business entity. This exercise is specifically on property rate so we have served them reminder and all of that. This very exercise is about serving them final demand Notice of payment, failure to pay the defaulted rate will result in the prosecution of the property owners. Essentially it is to ensure that the Assembly also gets its revenue to be able to do the development intervention that we are supposed execute,” he said.
He further urged all property owners to make payment on time and not wait to be chased by the Assembly.
“Ordinarily we thought that we will not even get here that people will willingly comply that I have a property, my responsibility is to ensure that I pay what is due the assembly or due the state so that it can be used for development. Unfortunately some people rather fail to do that and we have to chase them. This is not the first time we are doing it. But of course this is the first time we are involving the media. We want to advice the property owners within this metropolis who are supposed to pay and haven’t paid that they they pay to avert any further actions that would be taken against them,” he continued.
By Ebenezer Atiemo|ConnectFM|Onuaonline.com
