By Omar Bah
The Mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council, Talib Bensouda, has informed The Standard that the council is owed over D300 million in unpaid rates. To address this issue, the KMC has introduced GTRs to streamline and facilitate the payment of both commercial and residential rates, making it more convenient for property owners.
Moving forward, rate collectors will be equipped with GTRs to collect payments from property owners. The council emphasized that property owners with outstanding liabilities should settle their dues promptly, as the council will initiate a significant revenue mobilization effort. Mayor Bensouda stressed the importance of compliance, particularly regarding property rates, which serve as the council’s primary source of revenue. He expressed concern over the staggering D300 million in rate arrears, underlining the significance of taxpayer cooperation for community development.
Mayor Bensouda also revealed that the KMC oversees about 36,000 compounds and 87,000 properties, but the current compliance rate for property rates is less than 40%. Therefore, introducing GTRs aims to enhance convenience for taxpayers and collectors. Mayor Bensouda cited community feedback and the council’s positive experience with high compliance rates for licenses when using GTRs as the basis for implementing GTRs for property rates.
