The offices of the Electricity Company of Ghana(ECG) and Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) in Cape Coast have been shut down by the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly.
The institutions were locked up on Monday, February 13, 2023.
This forms part of the assembly’s efforts to recover debts owed by some companies and individuals.
According to the assembly, the companies have defaulted in payment of property rates and business operating permits since 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Essentially, the two companies owe the assembly a total amount of GH₵140,000.
This comes after the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development and the Lands Commission, rolled out the Unified Common Property Rate Platform, also known as Myassembly.gov.gh.
This enables property owners to verify their rates and pay the same.
The GRA said that ratepayers in 76 MMDAs were given the opportunity to verify and recommend amendments, where necessary, before the rolled-out.
The platform, which is also linked to the Ghana.gov.gh payment platform, is currently the sole payment platform for the payment of property rates with effect from January 2023.
According to the GRA, by the new system, should the assemblies charge just GH¢200 per property, the country can rake in GHc1.77 billion a year, and with a minimum of GH¢300, the assemblies can generate GH¢2.66 billion from properties a year, while a GH¢400 rate will bring in GH¢3.55 billion a year from property rate.