The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has organized a stakeholders’ meeting at the Okaikoi South Sub-Metropolitan District Council to introduce ratepayers to a new centralized digital system and payment platform designed for the collection of property rates and business operating permits.
The initiative, which aims to streamline revenue mobilisation and enhance transparency, is part of the Assembly’s broader strategy to improve its financial management systems.
Addressing participants, including property owners, business operators, and other stakeholders within the metropolis on the features and benefits of the platform, the Head of Public Affairs at AMA, Gilbert Nii Ankrah, stated that the centralised digital system was developed to address challenges associated with manual processes adding that the platform offers convenience to ratepayers by allowing them to make payments anytime and anywhere, eliminating the need for physical visits to the Assembly’s offices.
“This platform was purposely designed to ensure efficient revenue collection, which will help in funding developmental projects in the city. It will also help reduce leakages in the system and ensure accountability,” he said.
“This system has been designed with the end-user in mind. It is secure, accessible, and efficient. We are confident that it will transform the way rates are paid in the metropolis,” he added.
He disclosed that the centralized payment platform was expected to be fully operational in the coming weeks, with plans for a phased rollout across the sub-metro.
He called for collective effort and cooperation to make the platform a success, reinforcing the Assembly’s commitment to improving service delivery and fostering local development.
He urged all ratepayers to embrace the new platform and appealed to them to pay their property rates and business operating permits promptly while stressing the platform’s user-friendly interface and functionalities.
The Director of Budget at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Nobel Atsu Ahadzie, emphasized the importance of digitalizing revenue collection processes to enhance revenue generation and provide convenience for ratepayers describing it as a significant step forward in modernizing revenue collection.
He assured stakeholders that the system eliminates the need for direct reliance on revenue collectors, as all processes could now be completed online noting that the platform was user-friendly, accommodating both Android and basic mobile phones.
In a presentation by Omni Strategies, a key partner in the development and deployment of the digital payment platform, stakeholders were given a live demonstration, during which representatives explained how users could register, view their obligations, and make secure payments.
Participants at the meeting expressed enthusiasm about the initiative but raised some concerns about security of the platform, exorbitant charges demanded from ratepayers, unprofessional service delivery from rate collectors, sanitation issues among others.
