The stakeholder engagement, held on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, brought together hairdressers, caterers, dressmakers and other business operators, alongside officials of the Assembly, to discuss the proposed fees, licences and rates.

Officials present included the Municipal Coordinating Director (MCD), Mr Johnson Nyarko; Municipal Budget Officers, Madam Linda Agyeibea Lartey and Francis Doeglah, Esq.; and other technical staff of the Assembly.

The engagement was organised in line with the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), which provides for stakeholder consultation in the process of determining fees and rates by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

The meeting was aimed at presenting the proposed charges and gathering input from business operators for consideration in the final Fee-Fixing Resolution covering the 2026–2029 period.

Chairing the meeting, Mr Nyarko presented the draft guidelines for the payment of business operating permits, licences and property rates.

He emphasised the importance of timely compliance with the Assembly’s revenue requirements and encouraged regular engagement between the Assembly and business operators to address concerns relating to statutory payments.

As part of the presentation, he explained the proposed annual charges for dressmakers, which were grouped into three categories based on their scale of operations. Category A, covering large-scale operators, attracted proposed charges ranging from GH¢300 to GH¢400, while Category B, for medium-scale operators, ranged from GH¢180 to GH¢250. Category C was assigned an annual charge of GH¢220.

Following the presentation, some artisans expressed concern that the proposed fees were too high and appealed to the Assembly to review the charges downward to make them more affordable for businesses operating within the municipality.

The participants also raised concerns about property rates and other taxes administered by the Assembly.

In response, Mr Nyarko encouraged the artisans to approach the Assembly whenever they encountered challenges relating to payments or municipal services. He urged them to use the appropriate channels to seek clarification and resolve their concerns.

Mr Doeglah, Esq., also clarified that property rates were separate from fees charged for business operating permits and licences. He explained the different payment obligations administered by the Assembly to help the artisans understand their responsibilities regarding their properties and businesses.

The engagement provided a platform for constructive dialogue between the Assembly and the artisans, allowing business operators to raise concerns and make recommendations for consideration in finalising the Fee-Fixing Resolution for the 2026–2029 medium-term period.