FCTA unveils mobile advert, haulage permits

The Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS) of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has launched mobile advertisement and haulage permits for the 2023 financial year.

At the launch in Abuja, the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Adesola Olusade, sued for the cooperation of the business community in the FCT in order to achieve the objective of the initiative.

Olusade, who commended DOAS for the initiative aimed at achieving ease of doing business in the FCT, following improved institutional cooperation and partnerships with stakeholders.

He added that the FCTA would no longer tolerate acts of thuggery in the collection of taxes as there were better ways of doing such which would ensure the attainment of ease of doing business.

While commending the leadership of the area councils for resolving to synergise with DOAS to streamline the system, Olusade said the proliferation of collection authorities for mobile advertisement had led to serious loss of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the FCT.

Reacting, the Chairman of Kwali Area Council, Danladi Chiya, said although the area councils had the constitutional right to collect such advertisements, they had no issue with the FCTA over the establishment and mandate of DOAS.

Chiya, who is the Chairman of the All Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), however, stressed the need for more effort towards bridging the gaps in the system in order for all stakeholders to be at the same level.

Earlier, the Director of DOAS, Baba-Gana Adam, said the initiative was because of the necessity for a centralised system for advertisement and haulage in the territory.

The Chairman of the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCN) in the FCT, Ishaq AbdulRaheem, said the advent of DOAS had helped to streamline mobile advertising and haulage collection in the FCT.