The Finance Officer of the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) Madam Hickmatu Abdulai has urged ratepayers in the Municipality to honour their tax obligations to aid the Assembly improve on its revenue collection for the upcoming years.
Madam Hickmatu Abdulai made this call when the Assembly revenue task force close down a number of businesses that have flouted their tax compliance after a number of notices.
According to her, the Business Operating Permit is established by the Assembly byelaw. She said the byelaw is made in the exercise of the powers conferred on the Municipal Assembly by section 79 of the Local Government Act 1993 (Act 462). ‘No person shall carry on any business in or upon any premises within the area of Authority of the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) without a business permit duly granted by the Assembly’.
She continued that; a fee is charged in line with the nature of business for every business permit granted in accordance with the Assembly’s fee fixing resolution. Madam Hickmatu Abdulai mentioned that the Assembly might withdraw or revoke any business permit granted if any condition for granting of the permit is breached.
On closing down the business, she said the Assembly may close down business or suspend its activities until the permit fee is fully paid for the operation of the business.
Madam Hickmatu Abdulai held that any person who fails to pay his or her business permit at the prescribed time shall pay the outstanding fees plus interest at the current bank rate with effect from the day of default up to and including the day of the final payment of the fees. She said, person(s) who contravenes any provision of the BOP byelaws commits an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine or in default to a term of imprisonment or both.
Madam Hickmatu Abdulai held that the objective for the formation of the revenue task force was to seek to strengthen revenue administration, help combat abuses and corruption, and increase the fiscal space for public investment and social spending which is urgently needed to improve tax compliance.
She mentioned that, for the Assembly to finance any critical economic and social development within the Municipality, there is the need for stakeholders to honour their taxes. She further on indicated that the defaulters would be impeached.
Madam Hickmatu Abdulai mentioned that, lack of revenue enforcement, delay distribution of bills, accountability, basis of revenue payment, businesses unwillingness’ to pay the correct amount and poor tracking of economic activities identified as some of the challenges hostile against the Assembly’s revenue performance and assure that the Assembly would do well to address the issue to exceed their revenue target.