Senate tells Minister to commence implemention of property tax in FCT

In expectation of generating a revenue of N250 billion, the Nigerian Senate has asked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Malam Musa Bello to commence immediate implementation of property tax in the territory.

This was handed over to the Minister by the Senate Committee Chairman on FCT Senator Smart Adeyemi at the joint sitting of the Senate and House of Representatives Committee in Abuja on Thursday.

Implementation of property tax the lawmaker said, would generate N200 to N250 billion yearly and will help in curtailing crime and criminality in the FCT.

Adeyemi said, it’s only in Nigeria that people are allowed to build Houses or Estates without renting them out for many years, which invariably serve as hideouts for criminally minded ones.

In his reaction Mohammed Bello disclosed to the Committee members that 60vehicles worth N2billion , would be distributed to various security agencies like the Nigeria Police , the Army , Civil Defence among others next week Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello said thatdistricts in the FCT will benefit from the Greater Abuja Water Supply project when completed.

The minister told the lawmakers that the project was a bilateral initiative to enhance water supply in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

He explained that the implementation would extend the supply of potable water to about 26 districts in phases II and III covering Gwarinpa 1 and 2, Utako, Dutse, Gudu Kaura, Wuye, Mabushi, Jahi, Kado, Karmo, Galadimawa, Lokogoma, Kabusa, Dape among others.

He also said that the construction of the 14km Mpape-Shere Galuwyi Road was a bold initiative of the administration to ensure successful resettlement of original inhabitants in about 16 communities.

“The Resettlement Site covers about 900 hectares of land in Bwari Area Council, to resettle the 16 villages namely: Utako, Maje, Mabushi, Jabi Samuel, Jabi Yakubu, Kpaadna, Zhilu, Gishini, Dakibiyu, Gwarimpa, Galadima.

Bello said that the sum of N607,952,023,580 has been proposed for the FCT 2022 Statutory Budget comprising Distributable Revenue of N370,215,843,779 and Non-Distributable Revenue of N237,736,179,801.

In his contribution, senator Rochas Okorocha called for enabling laws to develop the Abuja City Centre.

Earlier in his remarks, Chairman Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Smart Adeyemi said that the national assembly through its oversight functions would ensure that the beauty and status of FCT becomes the pride of Nigeria and the world.