Effective Monday, November 10, a special task force from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) will visit businesses, shop owners, and property owners in Accra to recover all outstanding revenue owed to the Assembly.

The exercise forms part of efforts to improve revenue generation and enhance service delivery across the city. According to the Head of Public Affairs for the AMA, Gilbert Nii Ankrah, in a statement, all businesses, property owners, and outdoor advertising firms operating in Accra that are yet to settle their debts are urged to do so before the stated timeline. He further called on business owners to comply with the directive to avoid any inconveniences.

The statement added, "The Assembly urges all ratepayers to support this important exercise, as the funds collected will enable the AMA to continue delivering essential services such as sanitation, infrastructure development, and public safety for the benefit of all residents of Accra."

It concluded, “For any clarification or reconciliation of bills, ratepayers may also contact the Metro Director of Finance at the AMA Head Office.”

Ratepayers who may not be available during the exercise have been directed by the Authority to leave behind valid receipts of payment covering Business Operating Permits (BOPs), Property Rates, and Outdoor Advertising Fees and Rents for verification by their caretakers. The Authority emphasised that individuals who flout the instruction will be penalised, adding that, “no excuses will be accepted from defaulters or their agents.”

The operation will also crack down on unauthorised outdoor advertisements. The task force has been mandated to remove all illegal billboards, with the offending companies bearing the cost of removal. "Companies found to have erected such billboards without the requisite permits will be surcharged with the cost of removal," the Assembly stated.

AMA is one of the Two Hundred and Sixty-One (261) Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana and among the Twenty-Nine (29) MMDAs in the Greater Accra Region.

It was established in 1898 but has undergone several changes in terms of name, size and number of Sub-Metros. When Ghana returned to constitutional rule in 1993, it derived its legal basis from Local Government Act, 1993, (Act 462) which currently has been amended as the Local Governance Act, 2016 (ACT 936), and under Legislative Instrument (L.I) 2034.

Earlier today, the AMA undertook an exercise to remove unauthorised structures along the Korle Bu stretch, including canopies, wooden and metal sheds, shipping containers, kiosks, and tables, as well as illegal signage and banners. These were mounted along road shoulders and pedestrian walkways. The operation, which began from the Mamprobi Plaza through to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on the Guggisberg Avenue, follows an earlier directive for traders to relocate to the designated Korle Bu New Lorry Station Market.

The exercise saw the removal of unauthorised structures, including canopies, wooden and metal sheds, shipping containers, kiosks, and tables, as well as illegal signage and banners that had been mounted along road shoulders and pedestrian walkways.

Similarly, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) launched a similar “Operation All Must Pay” initiative to facilitate the retrieval of outstanding debts owed by customers across the nation and to prosecute offenders involved in illegal connections. The exercise, which came to a close on September 30 after it began on September 9, targeted residential, commercial, industrial, and government institutions such as Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

ECG further advised customers with arrears to pay their bills immediately to avoid disconnection and the payment of reconnection fees. It added that customers who are unable to access their bills should visit the nearest ECG office for assistance. Customers have been entreated to use their regular channels, including the ECG Mobile App, to pay their bills. Persons who do not have the App were directed to download it from the Google Play Store or call the ECG contact centre on 0302611611, or reach out through social media handles for assistance.

In May, the AMA launched an exercise targeting areas around the AMA Head Office, including Kinbu Road to Railways, ECG Junction to the King Tackie Tawiah Statue, and Opera Square to Adabraka. Prior to the decongestion exercise, the Accra Mayor engaged traders, urging them to leave the streets voluntarily.

The issue of congestion compelled transport operators to threaten strike action against the government and the Ghana Police Service. They gave authorities until Monday, May 19, to act or face a nationwide protest. However, the strike action was not executed.

According to the operators, the growing encroachment of roads and pavements by traders poses serious safety risks and disrupts the free flow of traffic. They are demanding the immediate enforcement of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), particularly those relating to trading on roads and pavements.

Under Ghana’s Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), specific provisions prohibit trading activities that obstruct pedestrian and vehicular movement. These regulations are designed to ensure the safety and free flow of traffic on public roads and pavements.