(Tuesday 05 January 2010 Issue)
Abodoulie MB Sanyang the Chief Executive Officer at the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) has disclosed that approximately D28m is owed to the council in the form of arrears of annual rates, taxes and rental payments due.
Mr Sanyang, who spoke in an exclusive interview with this reporter in his office yesterday, said the council would take legal action against those who fail to pay.
According to Mr Sanyang, the council depends on the periodic collection of rates and taxes as its main source of revenue, without which it cannot implement its development initiatives.
"The council is going to take legal action against landlords, shopkeepers and canteen owners, as well as those owing rental payment who fail to pay," he said, stressing that the council cannot do anything without a strong financial base.
"We will leave no stone unturned because it is not an easy task to run cleansing services unit without rates and taxes being paid," he added.
"We pay D18, 000 a day for hiring a single bulldozer to manage the land fill at Bakoteh dumpsite and to clear refuse from other illegal dumps in town. For each dump site we pay nothing less than D200, 000, and we have many illegal dump sites to clear. We cannot do this without enough resources," he declared.
He said there are millions owed in outstanding payments to the council which state of affairs, he noted, negatively impacts on the work of the council.
Mr Sanyang therefore appealed for the cooperation of all concerned to ensure that all rates and payments due to the KMC are made early in the New Year.
