In this interview with the Director, Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signages (DOAS), Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Dr. Baba-Gana Adam, he explains how the department will achieve its N3 billion revenue target for 2021. Excerpt:
You have had a running battle with AMAC over collection of outdoor advertising and signages rates but you recently resolved the impasse. How were you able to achieve that?
We were able to make that giant stride in revenue generation in the FCT due to the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders.
I particularly appreciate the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello and the FCT Minister State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, for their roles in ensuring that the crisis between the Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signages (DOAS) and Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has been resolved.
Also, I thank the chairman of AMAC for his magnanimity and cooperation. Though Section 7 and the Fourth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution vest the powers on area councils to collect advertisement permits, taxes and levies within their areas, the stakeholders resolved that in recognition of subsisting agreements and associated by-laws, DOAS should henceforth carry out the function.
So to reciprocate this gesture, the department will not fail the council but ensure we deliver and generate N3 billion revenue in 2021.
Your target for 2021 is very ambitious. How are you going to achieve that?
We have billable units which we have already enumerated. In the area councils, we have 5,000 or thereabouts. That is why if you put it all together, there will be 15,000 minimum level units. So, from that, we will be able to set our target. But nowhere in the world, no matter how hard you work, will you achieve 100 per cent target. I am not saying it is not achievable, it is, but it would be difficult especially with the pandemic. That is why we look at the quantum of available units of 15,000 within the FCT.
So it is very achievable if there is cooperation from the chairmen of area councils. We can surpass this target.
But don’t forget that target is about aspiration, ambition and vision of where you want to be. So, it is an ambition that is achievable. When you have target setting principles, you have to work towards it.
What mechanisms have you put in place to ensure that there are no leakages?
We did an enumeration of the malls, restaurants, schools, clinics, hospitals and all businesses that are supposed to pay for signage and outdoor advertisement. I said they are about 15,000. We are set since we have enumerated and have the locations, names and sizes of the signboards.
Secondly, we are not going to collect cash but through POS or bank transactions. We realise that the collection of cash is one of the areas where we have leakages.
Thirdly, we have stopped working with agents. As they used to do, money would go into the bank accounts of private companies, consultants or technical aides. Now, no kobo will enter private accounts.
With the coming of this administration, sometime in September 2015, there was a declaration that all revenues should go into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) system. From there, if there is a certain payment for an agreement with consultants or technical assistants, they will be paid. So, the collection is a one-stop shop.
The other thing is that we will be doing reviews monthly as well as quarterly reconciliation, where we will see how far we have gone with our targets and see if we exceed the targets or did not meet them. This will allow us to continue with or reevaluate our objectives. These are some of the things we intend to do.
There are concerns that your ambition to meet revenue targets is squeezing small businesses dry. How are you going to ensure that your tax drive doesn’t kill small businesses?
First and foremost, anybody who does not have an ambition will not work hard. We set the target not to squeeze the citizens. During the flag-off of the bill distribution in KCT plaza, the minister of FCT announced, through the permanent secretary, that anybody who has a small business that has signage in front of his or her shop has been given a waiver for this year.
Secondly, we are not disobeying the rights of the people when we are collecting the money. We will collect our levies permit and revenue collection with a human face.
We are not going to squeeze out the life of people just because we want to collect revenue. There are people before revenue, so it will be done in a way not to molest people.
