Adamawa Govt tasks surveyors to lead in revenue drive
increased revenue drive for a flourishing infrastructural development.
Mr Joab Sahma, the state Commissioner for Lands and Survey, gave the task atbtghe opening of a one-day mandatory Continuing Professional Development workshop, organised by Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors, Adamawa branch, in Yola.
The Voice Media Trust (VMT NEWS) reports that the workshop is in collaboration with Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria.
The theme is “property tax: Untapped goldmine in Adamawa state”.
Sahma said the theme was apt in view of the state government’s drive to expand the frontiers of urban renewal projects.
He charged the organisers to come up with a workable document that will be produced for government to study and implement accordingly.
He assured the Surveyors and Valuers of the state government’s readiness to partner them in the areas of growth and development as well as boosting the revenue drive for the state.
Mr Muhammad Abdullahi, the branch Chairman of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, said the programme intended to serve as an avenue for capacity building for professionals and other actors in the real sub-sector.
He also said the theme of this year came at a better time, when states across the nation are battling with dwindling revenues and huge expenditure to augment.
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According to him, property tax, if properly administered in Adamawa, can offer a window of opportunity to increase its revenue by a huge percentage as the area is indeed an untapped goldmine.
Dr Hamza Usman of ATBU, Bauchi, among other resource persons, decried the declining revenue in local governments due to overdependence on oil revenue from the federation account, which is adversely dwindling.
They emphasised that property taxation is all about property value and there must be evaluation as well as political will from the side of government at all levels.
