Tamale, April 09, – Ghana’s property rate system could see a major shift toward digitisation, as stakeholders in local governance and revenue mobilisation push for reforms to improve efficiency and accountability in tax collection.
The call was made during the virtual unveiling of a Youth Media Advocacy Platform on Property Tax, organised by Norsaac, Oxfam in Ghana, and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).
Rather than focusing only on enforcement, participants emphasised rebuilding public trust in the tax system through transparency in how property rate revenues are used at the local level.
The platform seeks to involve young people in governance discussions using digital media tools, with the aim of improving compliance, increasing civic awareness, and reshaping public attitudes toward taxation.
At the centre of the discussion was a study on property rate administration, which revealed significant inefficiencies in the current system and disparities in how revenue is mobilised across districts.
One of the strongest policy recommendations was a full-scale digitisation of property databases to reduce human error, block revenue leakages, and improve the accuracy of property valuation and billing.
The study also highlighted governance structure as a key factor, noting that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) performed better when they directly controlled property rate collection compared to periods of centralised administration.
Data cited in the findings showed that revenue collection declined in 2023 when responsibility was shifted to the Ghana Revenue Authority, before rebounding in 2024 after decentralisation was restored.
Beyond digitisation, stakeholders stressed that transparency in expenditure was equally important, arguing that citizens are more likely to pay taxes when they can clearly see development projects funded by them.
The discussion also proposed more flexible payment arrangements to reduce pressure on low-income property owners and improve overall compliance rates.
Another recommendation was to link property tax payments directly to visible community development projects, a strategy expected to strengthen accountability between assemblies and residents.
The study further broke down property classifications, identifying 3,423 first-class properties in prime locations, 5,288 second-class residential units, 1,043 third-class properties with collection difficulties, and 1,578 commercial properties described as major revenue sources.
Performance comparisons showed that Kwadaso Assembly recorded a sharp 251.7 per cent increase in property rate revenue after decentralised collection was restored, while Obuasi and Ga West also registered moderate improvements.
Speakers at the event also called for stronger youth engagement in fiscal governance. Salima Abdulai noted that media-driven advocacy could simplify tax education and improve voluntary compliance.
Nii Addo provided historical context, recalling that early Ghanaian property taxation systems, such as the “Ntokua toa” method, assessed buildings based on structural features like window counts before evolving into a modern value-based system.
He further pointed to legal backing for the system under the Local Government Act, 1993 (Act 462) and the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), which empower local authorities to assess and collect property rates.
GHBUSS
09 April 2026
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