Financing Local Government in Ghana: an appraisal of the generation of property rates at the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly for the period 1994-2003

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2004-11-21
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This study delved into the operations of the Local Government system of Ghana, in comparison with eight selected countries worldwide. The life blood of every organization is money and therefore the generation of Revenues in general and specifically the factors underlying the generation of property rates of the KMA was put under the search light. Several interesting findings were made. One important finding was that, the assessment of property rate payable, based on the real calculated values of the properties, remains the most transparent, justifiable and reasonable method of assessing properties in the metropolis. In the absence of this arrangement the KMA loses several millions of cedis that should have come into its coffers. It was also realized that a lot of guesswork goes into the assessment, of property rates due to the unavailability of data at the offices of the KMA. It was therefore recommended that the KMA should as a matter of urgency capture data on all ratable properties in the metropolis and computerize these data to make them easily accessible to ratepayers. In comparison with the Japanese experiences, it was learnt that it was possible for the state to transfer over 50% of its total revenues to the local Government bodies for development purposes. This was real decentralization of the political structure and the transfer of means to ensure that the local government system is effective on the ground. Local Government system of administration remains the most viable means of transferring functions, powers, authority, means and competence from the center to the grassroots, and the most recommended system of administration for all countries — both developed and developing. It is therefore of utmost importance that the human resource that is vitally needed to implement any system is taken good care of in terms of remuneration and other conditions of service, for if the mouth of’ the OX that treads the corn is muzzled, then no one in his or her rightful mind should expect any treading of the corn to be done for the benefit of all. .
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A thesis submitted to the Department of Economics and Industrial Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, 2004
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