by crossriverwatch admin
In other to ascertain the level cooperation in the Internally Generated Revenue drive in Ogoja Local Government Area, the Executive Chairman, Hon. Rita Agbo Ayim has carried out a test run of the point of sale (POS) machine in Ishibori Market in Ogoja to monitor the level of acceptability of the process by market men and women.
The exercise which saw the council boss in company of revenue officers, DFS, Secretary of Council and other Councils Staff moving round the market to officially test run the issuance of daily market ticket tolls through the POS system was described by the amalgamated traders union in Ishibori market as a welcomed development which will help curb leakages in revenue generation.
During the process of the test run of the POS machine, the entire market people were celebrating and thanking the chairman for introducing the POS machine system.
Speaking during the exercise, the chairman thanked the market people for understanding with government and solicited their cooperation to make sure that all the traders comply with the new development by collecting their toll tickets through the POS system.
The council boss further assured the traders that the government will provide facilities that will enable them carry out their businesses without stress by building open market shops, lock up shops, toilets, and drainage system. She added that the government has approved the sale of toll tickets at N20.00 and warned them against paying more than the stipulated amount by the government to any revenue staff or unauthorized council agents.
Hon. Ayim further advised the market men and women to insist on collecting POS tickets from revenue officers in uniform without name tags. She warned that government has not made any provision for volunteers to assist in the collection of revenue from the traders and charged them to report any one involved in illegal collection of revenue to the office of Special assistant to the chairman on revenue.
The council boss used the occasion to advise the revenue officers to desist from criminal act or they will be arrested by the tasked force and tried by the revenue court. She also reminded the traders that the exercise will be done across the ten wards of Ogoja Local Government Area.
While Mr. Ukwa Ogbogu a trader in Ishibori market thanked the chairman for the initiative and assured her of the traders’ readiness to comply and work in line with the policy of government to enable her succeed.
He further appealed to the chairman to put up facilities in the market that will help improve IGR of the local government council.
In another development, the special assistant to the chairman on revenue and mobilization, Mrs. Cecilia Udo Ntaji also carried out a similar exercise Abakpa Market in Urban Ward II and described the exercise as successful. She assured the Abakpa Trader Union of total support of the government to give the market a face lift with proceeds of the revenue generated for the benefit of the people.
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