The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), has disclosed plans to roll out a new digitize revenue collection system in March 2023, to improve on and to earn more revenue for the Assembly.
The new platform which is expected to make payments more convenient, is also aimed at checking revenue leakages and reducing alleged corruption, while promoting voluntary compliance and a conducive rate-paying environment.
Madam Elizabeth Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey, the Mayor of Accra, made this known when she led a team of officers from the Assembly to sensitise traders on the roll-out of new receipts for payment of markets and lorry park tolls in the metropolis.
The new receipts to be issued from today, 27th January, 2023, have holograms in them, for easy identification of which tickets were purchased.
The first female Mayor of Accra, divulged that the Accra Metropolitan Assembly is leveraging on government’s digitalisation drive to create an innovative solution to increase its internally generated funds and block all revenue leakages while reducing the human element.
Madam Tawiah Sackey further revealed that, about 23 banks have been integrated into the new revenue collection platform to give users the flexibility of payment options adding that “apart from using the banks, rate payers can equally pay their bills via mobile money on all networks, QR codes, and a USSD code.”
The Mayor stated that, prior to the introduction of the new revenue collection system in March, all traders and market women in the metropolis would be registered and given special Quick Response (QR) codes to be used for payment of bills from the Assembly. She further urged the market women and the business community to embrace innovation to bring development to the people of Accra.
Meanwhile, Metro Director of Budget, Mr. Noble Atsu Ahadzie emphasised that with the new system bills and receipts would be sent electronically to rate payers without any human interference. He added that AMA is rolling out a well-detailed stakeholder engagement plan to ensure that all stakeholders are well-informed ahead of the commencement of the digital revenue collection system.
The AMA boss was accompanied by the Presiding Member and Assemblyman for the Avenor electoral area, Alfred Adjei, the Chairman of the Revenue Sub-Committee and Assemblyman Amaamo Electoral area, Muzah Ziyad and Francis Anaba, Metro Finance Director among others.
Past Engagement With Traders
It will be recalled that, AMA engaged with entrepreneurs at Okaishie in the Central Business District (CBD) of Accra on the implementation of the digital revenue collection system in November 2022.
The forum was to sensitise and educate them on the digitalisation of revenue collection being rolled out by the Assembly to prevent resistance and ensure compliance.
The Mayor announced plans to re-categorise traders in the CBD to enhance product discoverability on the markets, improve customer experience and help merchants reach the right shoppers while calling for partnership.
Madam Sackey urged the private sector to partner with the AMA in its transformational agenda of Accra through the redevelopment of markets and lorry parks to make the city more sustainable and climate-friendly.
The Okaishie Lorry Park and Rawlings Park are among the facilities earmarked by the Assembly for redevelopment.
The Accra Metropolitan is one of the 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana, and forms part of the 29 MMDAs in the Greater Accra Region. The Assembly, has ten sub-metropolitan district councils which are subordinate to the general assembly. AMA performs functions assigned to them by the instrument that sets up the Assembly or delegated to them by the general assembly.
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