Property owners in the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) in the Greater Accra Region who have not paid their property rates for 2015 risk being dragged to court.
The assembly is reminding such persons that the Local Government Act empowers assemblies to take legal action to retrieve money owed them.
Local Authority Act
“We wish to remind you once again that LEKMA is authorised under Section 106 (1) of the Local Government Act, 1993 (Act 462) to apply to the court for an order for the sale of your property if the outstanding amount is not paid,” a three-point final notice from the assembly issued to property owners said.
However, speaking in an interview, the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Seth Badu Tawiah, said, “We think that it has not reached that level. So we wish to appeal to those who still owe to redeem themselves.”
He said the assembly was prepared to negotiate with property owners to pay their rates in instalments and invited those who found it difficult to pay in bulk to go over to the assembly and work out payment schedules with its officers.
Mr Tawiah said the non-payment of the property rates was drawing the assembly back in its developmental effort and said the last resort would be to go to court to get those properties auctioned to enable the assembly to retrieve its revenue.
He said if all property owners had paid their property rates, the assembly could have raked in far in excess of its target for the year and impressed on property owners within its jurisdiction to see the payment of the rates as a civic responsibility.
Development projects
Mr Tawiah talked about the assembly’s commitment and determination to provide the needed amenities for the people in its area and said such payments would help it to bring about the needed development.
He said because development could not wait, the assembly currently owed some companies that had pre-financed certain development activities on its behalf.
The Budget Officer of the assembly, Mrs Cecilia Ofori-Asante, said one major challenge the assembly was facing in the collection of property rate was the springing up of new properties that were not valued, “And without valuation, we cannot ask them to pay rates,” she said.
Nonetheless, she said there were about 30,000 property owners in the municipality and expressed optimism that if all were to pay their rates, the assembly would have funds for its development agenda.
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