By Matthew Tabe
The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has promised to stop what it called double taxation of businesses in the council by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), threatening to go after those sabotaging revenue generation in the council.
Yusuf Ahmadu, the Senior Special Assistant on Community Development to AMAC Chairman, Christopher Maikalangu, disclosed this on Thursday at the council headquarters, saying that it was worrisome for residents to pay tax to both FCTA and AMAC.
He said it was wrong for the Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS) in the FCTA to be collecting mobile advert in AMAC, “without the knowledge of officials in-charge of tax collection.”
Ahmadu warned that the current leadership of the council will not accept anybody found thwarting AMAC privileges in collecting revenue.
He said: “Based on a recent Supreme Court ruling, no body or establishment has the power to transfer the authority of the area council or power to collect revenue for a third party.
“We, therefore, call on AMAC residents, mobile advert customers not to pay any money to FCTA Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage, else they will pay two times.
“The council has constituted a committee that will be going round to check the activities of individuals sabotaging revenue generation.”
He said the council has commenced clampdown on revenue defaulters and impostors, adding that the chairman was not taking the issue lightly as strategic stakeholders are behind him in boosting revenue collection in the council.