The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and ratepayers in the Okaikoi South Sub-Metropolitan District have reached a provisional agreement on a 25 per cent increase in Business Operating Permit fees for the 2027 financial year, subject to further consultations and final approval by the Assembly.
The agreement was reached on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, during a stakeholder consultative meeting on the AMA’s proposed 2027 Fee-Fixing Resolution.
The Head of Budget at the AMA, Mr Noble Atsu, in a welcome address, said that the meeting formed part of the statutory process for determining the rates, fees, licenses, and charges to be collected by the Assembly in the coming financial year.
Mr Atsu said the Assembly had initially proposed a 60 per cent increase, particularly in the Business Operating Permit, commonly referred to as the business licence, but reduced the proposal to 25 per cent after extensive discussions with stakeholders.
He stated that similar consultative meetings would be held in the Ablekuma South and Ashiedu Keteke sub-metropolitan districts to gather the views of ratepayers in those jurisdictions before a final decision was taken.
Mr Atsu explained that the proposed fees were guided by the Ministry of Local Government’s Fee-Fixing Guidelines for the 2026–2029 period, adding that fees currently charged by the AMA remained significantly below the levels recommended in the guidelines.
He attributed the gap to the fact that the AMA had not adjusted its Business Operating Permit fees since 2022, although periodic marginal increases were expected to be introduced to prevent sudden and substantial adjustments.
Mr Atsu said previous attempts to revise the fees had been suspended following objections from ratepayers, but the new guidelines required the Assembly and its stakeholders to agree on a predictable fee structure covering the 2027 to 2029 period.
He disclosed that some projects and services funded through internally generated revenue, particularly interventions aimed at improving sanitation across the metropolis, included the acquisition of two new refuse compactor trucks.
The meeting also discussed the suitability certificate and fumigation charges imposed on business establishments, following complaints that some ratepayers did not clearly understand what they were paying for or how the charges were calculated.
The Sub-Metro Director for Okaikoi South, Mrs. Mercy Odoi, also reminded owners of branded commercial and private vehicles, including motorcycles and tricycles, to obtain annual branding permits from the Assembly between January 2 and March 31.
A business operator from the North Industrial Area welcomed the provisional agreement on a 25 per cent increase and expressed confidence that the two remaining sub-metro consultations would help the AMA develop a fair and balanced fee structure.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
