The short codes 22233# and 22255#, respectively, are used by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to collect property rates and business operating permits (BOPs) using a new digital payment platform.
The program is a component of the AMA’s larger plan to increase data accuracy, expedite revenue collection, and improve service delivery for stakeholders and residents.
The system allows ratepayers to make payments directly using their mobile phones, with the added convenience of downloading receipts and certificates online, according to Nobel Atsu Ahadzie, Director of Budget at AMA, who was speaking at a Rate Payers’ Training program held for stakeholders at the Ablekuma South Sub-Metropolitan Council to familiarize them with the detailed procedure to access and use the system.
Even for those with simple mobile phones, he said, the platform is easy to use and accessible.
AMA intends to ensure inclusivity in its implementation by offering advice and support to individuals who might need it.
Property rates, market tolls, parking tolls, and commercial signs may all be paid for with the new system, he noted. Users can check their bills using SMS, a special customer portal, or USSD, and they can pay using bank cards, mobile money, or banks.
In response to stakeholders’ worries about possible job losses, Ahadzie assured them that revenue collectors would be moved to enforcement and consumer education positions, emphasizing that these employees would help companies implement the system while maintaining compliance.
He added that by cutting out middlemen, the platform improves accountability by lowering the likelihood of corruption and allowing for real-time payment tracking.
In order to guarantee that all three sub-metros gain from digitalization, he pointed out that the program had to be expanded to Ablekuma South and Okaikwei South due to the success of a trial project in the Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metropolitan District.
In a media interview, Hon. Richard Tagoe, the Acting Chairman of the Ablekuma South Sub-Metro and Assembly Member for the Korle Bu electoral region, stated his full support for the recently launched digital revenue collection platform, calling it a long-overdue move.
The idea was commended by Hon. Tagoe, who said it would assist AMA in protecting its income and removing corruption-related leaks.
“This concept is very good and should have been implemented a long time ago,” he said, noting that money meant for the AMA frequently winds up in the coffers of private citizens.
He was hopeful that the new method would help AMA become more efficient and solidify its financial position.
In order to maintain discipline and compliance among ratepayers, Hon. Tagoe further encouraged AMA to make sure that laws and regulations are strictly enforced under the new platform.
Source: newsthemegh.com