By Blessing Otobong-Gabriel
The Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, Christopher Zakka Maikalangu has on Tuesday, inaugurated a taskforce for revenue monitoring, inspection and enforcement in council to block Leakages.
Speaking at the inauguration, Maikalangu said that the taskforce will work with mobile courts, lawyers and security agents to curtail the nefarious activities of fake and illegal revenue collectors in the council.
He charged members of the taskforce to ensure there is no double taxation of residents and to also work within the ambits of the law.
He said: "I want to use this medium to address citizens of Abuja Municipal Area Council, especially taxpayers, over our new cashless revenue payment policy.
According to him, "the team will assist us to rid the system of undue molestation, use of thugs as revenue collectors, reduce the activities of fake and unauthorized revenue collectors in addition to eradicating all forms of illegal financial transactions.
He recall that at the inception of his administration last year, he dissolved all forms of revenue consultancy firms in the superior and overriding interest of good governance.
"In the same vein, we also announced several economic policies that will assist us to deepen good governance and enhance self-sustainability in the running of AMAC.
He said that the Council has also introduced a cashless revenue payment policy in a bid to stop the criminals whose business is to divert cash meant for AMAC into private accounts.
"Today's event is another phase in our desire to further sensitise the people to take responsibility of their civic duties in ensuring they pay all revenues to AMAC on time and without diversions."
He added: "This AMAC Taskforce on Revenue Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement is therefore inaugurated today, alongside the Mobile Court, to perform the following functions:
i. General monitoring of revenue activities within the Council especially, the activities of revenue collectors/consultants;
ii. Investigate, discover and stop the activities of fake revenue collectors within the Council;
iii. Instilling sanity in the revenue sector by identifying grey areas (if any), on the field with a view to mitigating uncovered anomalies;
iv. Fish out touts and miscreants who are often fakes in the field and hand them over for prosecution accordingly;
v. Identifying incidences of double taxation and report back to my office for further necessary action;
vi. Where there are clear incidences of double taxation, advise appropriately, how such revenue heads can and should be harmonised;
vi. Above all, the task force is expected to identify tax evaders, arrest and prosecute offenders with a view to restoring sanity in the system by developing database for effective resource and revenue mobilization for sustainable development of AMAC.
"Therefore, in view of the seriousness we attach to this taskforce, we have secured a Standing Mobile Court to entertain all forms of revenue matters within our office at Apo Secretariat to try anyone found wanting in the process."
He said said that the members of the taskforce were carefully selected from the staff of the council, who have good reputation, adding that the taskforce members have the moral task of ensuring residents are not molested as they're expected to be corruption free, even as he charged them to live up to expectations.
He added: "I wish to assure our revenue paying public to bear with us as we pursue our vision for rapid economic recovery, good governance and accelerated sustainable development.
"We are guided by our deep commitment towards delivering on the much desired dividends of democracy across the 12 electoral wards of the Area Council.
"You must note that your choice to serve is based on the confidence reposed in you and nothing less is expected from you.
Appreciating the Chairman for the inauguration, the Taskforce Chairman, Mr Yunusa Ahmadu Yusuf, revealed that the taskforce has been empowered and will record success within months.
He reiterated that any business person who pays money to fake revenue collectors on behalf of AMAC will pay double.
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