FCT Entertainment Fee To Generate N15bn Yearly’
Director, Economic Planning, Isa Ari Mohammed, at a media dialogue on the concept of the entertainment fee yesterday, said again that the entertainment fee introduced newly in Abuja is only a levy on luxury lifestyles.
According to Mohammed, these monies generated will be directed to specific social economic needs of the common man living in Abuja.
He, therefore, encouraged everyone to support the entertainment fee which is only five percent of every luxury.
He said: “If you go to London, Dubai, Lagos and Cross River each city of the world has its own way of collecting this revenue.
“It is a fee on luxury. The minister felt we must be our brother’s keeper and you must love what you love for your brother what you love for yourself. The government is reminding you that there is a poor man out there or a sick pregnant woman that government need to support. These are fees levelled on the rich to better the lot of the poor.”
He added: “It is only important to look at the amount of expenditure that the government takes care of and we know that the budget as gone down, we cannot go down on providing transportation. That is why the minister said we should start thinking inward without really impeding on the development of the territory.
“The amount that will be generated will be about N10 to N15 billion in the first year. Over the years it will continue to grow by 25 percent. We are really targeting specific areas which FCT really needs like- education, health and public transportation.
According to the director, some of the five and four stars hotels have already taken off with the entertainment fee.
He explained that the tax is not “inclusive of VAT.”
“It’s a separate tax. That’s why we are charging on luxury like musical download or when you are using internet or you want to enjoy your DSTV at home; it means that you have a little above the ordinary man who does not even have a television set.
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