The Ministry of Finance has established a dedicated team to draft a Legislative Instrument (LI) aimed at enhancing the implementation of the Local Governance Act 936, with a focus on improving property rate collection across the country.
Once passed, the LI will address the existing challenges that have hindered the development of an effective property rate collection system.
The Director of the Revenue Policy Division at the Ministry of Finance, Mr. George Winful, highlighted the importance of this initiative during the inaugural National Tax Conference.
He noted that the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) was previously tasked with assisting Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in implementing a Unified Common Platform (UCP) for property rate administration and collection accountability.
“Due to the challenges encountered, the initiative was temporarily halted to allow both the GRA and MMDAs to streamline their processes for successful implementation,” Mr. Winful explained.
The National Tax Conference, themed “Improving Progressive Property Taxation and Tax Compliance: The Key to Increased Domestic Revenue Mobilization in Ghana,” was organized by Oxfam with funding from the Hewlett Foundation.
During the event, Mr. Mohammed Anwar Sadat Adam, Programmes and Policy Influency Lead at Oxfam, emphasized that progressive taxation is a crucial pathway to reducing inequality and poverty.
He outlined Oxfam’s efforts to build capacities, strengthen alliances between citizens and local authorities, and create platforms for discussing tax responsibilities and revenue mobilization.
Oxfam, in collaboration with the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition and other partners, has been working to generate data on tax administration efficiency and corporate tax behavior through initiatives like the Fair Tax Monitor and the Ghana Responsible Tax Index (GRTI).
Mr. Dominic Naab, Assistant Commissioner of the Policy and Programmes Department at GRA, reiterated the organization’s commitment to enhancing the efficiency of the tax system. He stressed the importance of tax compliance for building the infrastructure needed to drive economic growth and social inclusion.
“We owe it to our communities and future generations to ensure that tax compliance becomes a tool for growth, empowerment, and sustainable development,” Mr. Naab stated.
At the event, Oxfam also launched the Fair Tax Monitor, which compares tax policies and practices across different countries, and the Ghana Responsible Tax Index (GRTI) report, which evaluates the responsible tax practices of multinational and large companies operating in Ghana.
