Blessing Bature, Abuja
The Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, on Wednesday warned defaulting hoteliers to pay their revenues or have their hotels sealed.
Warning the hotel owners to that effect at a telephone in a statement by the Senor Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, SAMPA, to the AMAC chairman, Kingsley Madaki, said that the area council has strictly followed the law and served them 14 days demand notice.
Madaki further informed that the Chairman of AMAC had a meeting with the association of the hoteliers known as HOFA in the area council and discussed with them on the importance of the revenue to the running of the area council and private businesses, such as hotels.
He equally informed that since they have been given 14 days demand notice which, according to him has since elapsed, the AMAC taskforce would start work on Monday to verify those that have paid and seal those that haven’t.
Responding to questions on double taxations the hoteliers have been decrying, the SAMPA said that AMAC only collects liquor license, business premises permit, among others, adding that one notice is usually given and since the area council has done that according to him, the taskforce will start work on Monday. He informed that the area council has also furnished them with its account number, even as he warned that anybody that paid to another account number would be on his or her own.
Still justifying the planned action of the area council, he said the chairman has fulfilled his promises to provide transformers and other facilities where there were none during his campaign, even as he stated that such facilities were usually provided through revenue generated from business operators in the area council.
On the collection of taxes and other revenues by Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), he informed that the FCTA or any of its agencies, like the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) lacked the jurisdiction to collect revenue from business operators, saying that they are not area council.
Madaki therefore appealed to them to cooperate with the area council, as well as strictly follow the rules and regulations for their own interest and that of the government, adding that the government, as an agent, is for the good of the citizens.