Ahmed Ibrahim, the Minister nominee for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, has expressed his intention to enhance the collection of property rates across the country as a means of generating revenue for local development.

He pointed out that this area has been given insufficient attention despite its potential to significantly raise funds for development at the district level.

"One critical area that we can focus on, a low-hanging fruit, is property rates," he stated during his appearance at the parliamentary vetting on Tuesday, January 21.

"When given the nod, we will all come together to improve this. It is the quickest and most effective way of generating revenue at the district level," he added.

Mr Ibrahim also emphasised his commitment to decentralising the collection process, ensuring local authorities have direct access to the revenue for use in development projects.

In 2022, the Ministry of Finance, under the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Act of 2009 (Act 791), introduced a Property Rate Reform Project to increase the collection of property rates nationwide.

The GRA was tasked with overseeing this initiative from January 2023, and while the number of billable properties has increased, the expected revenue generation has not met targets due to challenges in the system.

Ahead of the 2024 election, former President John Mahama announced plans to terminate the GRA's contract for collecting property rates and return the responsibility to the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

Mr Ibrahim has pledged to continue this decentralisation effort if confirmed as Minister.