The Ashanti Regional Rent Officer, Mr Michael Cobbinah, has called on the government to strengthen the Rent Control Department (RCD) which is on the verge of collapse. Mr Cobbinah made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Kumasi. According to him, the government's involvement in the operations of the RCD would help ensure the delivery of efficient services. He cited government involvement in transport operations by the introduction of the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) buses as an example to buttress his point. He said the introduction of the MMT buses in the year 2002, compelled the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to review its policies on transportation. Mr Cobbinah indicated that about 90 per cent of landlords and landladies in the country, more especially those in the Ashanti Region, did not pay their tax on the rent charges they collected from their tenants. "Government must monitor Rent Control operations to champion the cause of competitiveness and influence the need for quality service delivery," he stated. Mr Cobbinah expressed concern about the limited number of rent officers in the country, saying that was not encouraging. He quoted from Section 5 (2b) of the Rent Act, 1963, explaining that the Rent Officer "may require the discovery, inspection and production of government". He also expressed worry about inadequate logistics, personnel and resources for the RCD, adding that the RCD did not have adequate vehicles for its operations in the country. He, therefore, appealed to the Ministry of Works and Housing to collaborate with the RCD for effective and efficient service delivery. Source: Daily Graphic