Shai-Osudoku Launches Mechanised Billing System to Boost Revenue and Accelerate Development

By Samuel Asamoah

The Shai-Osudoku District Assembly has launched a mechanised billing system aimed at plugging revenue leakages, improving property and business data management, and increasing internally generated funds to support development projects across the district.

Addressing the media at a press briefing in Dodowa, Shai-Osudoku District Chief Executive, Hon. Ignatius Godfred Dordoe, said the Assembly was replacing an outdated and fragmented billing regime that had undermined revenue mobilisation and constrained local development efforts.

Hon. Dordoe explained that the previous billing system was unreliable, weak, and lacked the capacity to provide accurate and integrated information on rateable properties and businesses, leading to significant revenue leakages and weak assessments.

According to him, the Assembly has deployed digital technology and recruited data collectors equipped with tablets to undertake a comprehensive property and business enumeration exercise. Information gathered from the field is transmitted electronically to a central dashboard for verification and validation before being migrated into a database for bill generation and printing.

“The objective is to establish a credible and reliable database that will improve revenue collection and provide the resources needed to drive development across our communities,” the DCE stated.

The mechanisation exercise currently covers Business Operating Permits, Property Rates and temporal structures, while data collection in Asutsuare, Volivo and some hinterland communities, including Agortor, Tokpo and Kortorkor, is expected to be completed in subsequent phases.

Hon. Dordoe noted that under the new system, every property and business has been assigned a unique account number linked to its GPS address, electoral area and suburb, making it easier for the Assembly to identify and track rateable entities.

He added that the new bills contain detailed information on business categories, amounts payable and a detachable payment section to facilitate efficient accounting and revenue management.

The DCE further disclosed that revenue collectors would begin distributing the bills next week and would be identifiable through reflective jackets embossed with the Assembly’s logo. He urged residents to demand official receipts for all payments and transact only with accredited revenue collectors or directly at the Assembly’s offices.

Hon. Dordoe appealed to residents and business owners to cooperate with revenue collectors and honour their tax obligations, stressing that improved revenue generation would enable the Assembly to undertake more development projects and improve service delivery throughout the district.

“The success of this exercise depends on the cooperation of the public. Increased revenue means increased development for every community within the district,” he said.