By Felix Cofie
The Greater Accra Regional Office of the Lands Commission has launched a high-level enforcement exercise to clamp down on defaulting lessees, targeting prime residential and commercial areas across the capital.
The field operation, led by Regional Lands Officer Dr. Pius Basoah Asumadu, forms part of renewed efforts to boost revenue mobilisation and ensure compliance with lease agreements.
Officials carried out inspections and served Rent Demand Notices in several high-profile locations, including the Airport Residential Area, where a number of property owners and institutions were found to have significant outstanding ground rent arrears.
According to the Commission, some properties—among them facilities occupied by state agencies such as the Minerals Commission—have accumulated unpaid ground rent for more than a decade.
Authorities stressed that ground rent remains a mandatory annual obligation for all government lessees. They warned that failure to settle arrears could attract penalties, including the imposition of compound interest, legal action, and, in extreme cases, the revocation of lease agreements.
During the exercise, Lands Commission officials engaged directly with property managers and occupants, urging them to take immediate steps to regularise their payment status.
To improve transparency and efficiency in billing, the Commission has also directed all defaulters to update their records with valid identification details, including Tax Identification Numbers and digital addresses.
The Head of the Public and Vested Lands Management Division, Kwesi Peprah, further advised the public to make payments only through approved channels. These include designated banks at Lands Commission offices or the government’s digital payment platform, Ghana.gov, to ensure accountability and security.
The Commission describes the ongoing exercise as a final call for all lessees in the Greater Accra Region to verify their ground rent status and settle any outstanding debts promptly.
Failure to comply, officials warned, could result in enforcement actions, including litigation or repossession of property.
