By Daniel Tyokua
The Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Zakka has called on tax payers to stop paying taxes to unknown agents.
He said the tax payers prefer to pay cash to fake agents and get reduction, instead of paying to the council’s bank account for accountability.
Zakka stated this during a press briefing on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said many fake revenue agents have been arrested in different parts of the council and that, henceforth, only taxpayers who present bank tellers of their payment into the council’s account that will be accepted.
He said, “The collection of revenue is not as easy as many people imagine. That’s why I set up the taskforce upon assumption of office. In fact, we recorded good results in 2023, that’s why I am relying on the taskforce to help in arresting revenue leakages abetted by fake revenue agents.
“I don’t have the accurate figures, but we arrest the fake revenue agents everyday. Even yesterday, we arrested one of them. He had gone to a hotel to demand for payment. Luckily, the owner of the hotel knows me personally, so he called me and handed over the phone to the fake agent. Can you imagine that the fake agent was asking me who I am and who is my Oga? That’s how to know fake agents.
“Meanwhile, it’s only daily tickets sold to cars, motorcycles and traders in the market that’s exempted. Others are paid through banks. We checkmate even our taskforce. We checkmate even those checkmating others against excesses. We have the chairman of the taskforce and hold him responsible if anything goes wrong.
“We are repeating and appealing to our taxpayers, go to the bank and pay your tax. Don’t pay cash to anybody. Our problem is the taxpayers. They also prefer to go through shortcut by paying cash to fake agents for reduction. However, from now on, we won’t take that. We would like you to pay to AMAC account or pay twice.”
