Accra, Jan. 13, - The Lands
Commission would soon publish the names of all defaulters of ground rents, in
Accra, and follow up with the prosecution of these lessees or assignees of
government lands.
The Commission said huge sums of
State revenue were locked up with the defaulters and it was prudent for them to
pay up to avoid the legal action.
Mr Raphael Hokey, the Acting
Regional Officer at the Commission, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency,
explained Ground rent as the annual payments made by organisations or
individuals to the owners of the State Lands through the Commission.
He said the Commission, as part
of its mandate, managed the Government’s lands and granted leases or allocated
portions of the land to organisations for use, but without outright sale, in
line with constitutional provisions.
He said all lessees and assignees
were required by lease covenants to pay annual ground rents in respect of State
or vested lands whether legally acquired or not.
According to section 23 of the
Lands Commission Act (Act 767), the functions of the Public and Vested Lands
Management Division include facilitating the acquisition of land for Government
and managing state acquired and vested lands in conformity with approved land
use plans.
Mr Hokey expressed worry about
the high level of default in payment, saying some organisations were in arrears
for several years, thus affecting revenue mobilisation and the development of
projects.
He said the Commission was
determined to recover every cent from the defaulters through legal means.
“The Commission is embarking on
house-to-house exercise to deliver demand notices and ensure that the covenants
in the lease have not been breached,” he added.
The State or vested land areas in
the capital include Airport West Residential, Achimota Forest Residential, East
and West Cantonment’s, East Legon Residential, National Sports Complex
Residential, North Legon Residential and Ridge Residential.
Others are the Tema Motorway
Industrial Area, Zoti Residential, Ring Road North and South Area, South Legon
Development Scheme, North Dzorwulu, Ofankor Residential, and Roman Ridge
Ambassadorial area.
GNA
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