Petition: Senate committee gives 2-week ultimatum to FCT

Petition: Senate committee gives 2-week ultimatum to FCT
By Olasunkanmi Onifade
Taxation
Abuja, May 31, 2018 (NAN) The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, has given two weeks ultimatum to FCTA and Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) to resolve the petition of multiple taxation filed by the Guild of Medical Directors.
The Chairman of the committee, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, issued the directive in Abuja on Thursday during a public hearing on the petition, urging both parties to ensure they arrive at a favourable end.
A member of the committee and Senate Committee Chairman on Primary Healthcare, Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, called for the need for adequate healthcare provision in the FCT and across the country.
Ohuabunwa, who represents Abia North Senatorial District, warned that doctors would charge patients more than what they can or render substandard services, if irrelevant multiple taxation on private hospitals continues.
“Health institutions are different from commercial institutions and there should be different charges or range of charges for hospitals.
“There should be a specific place for hospitals to be established to enable easy management and service delivery especially as we talk about Universal Health Coverage in the FCT.
“When you put burden on the medical doctors, it comes back to the FCT residents,” he said.
Responding to the petition, the FCT Minister, Alhaji Muhammad Bello, who was represented by the Coordinator, AMMC, Malam Umar Shuaibu, denied ever receiving any complaint of taxation from the guild.
Bello appealed to the committee to resolve the issues.
Earlier, the Chairperson of the guild, FCT Chapter, Dr Chito Nwana, prayed the committee to prevail on FCTA to stop harassing private facilities, stressing that they are being prevented from rendering quality service to the populace.
Nwana urged the senate to look into matter of unnecessary multiple taxes, saying there are legal impetuses to some of these charges with the view to removing any ambiguities.
“Suspend all taxes and levies from all six area councils in the FCT pending investigation into their legality and mandate all Area Councils in the FCT to categorise hospitals as public institutions.
“We want all Area Councils in the FCT to be mandated to carry out their function in the fourth schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to provide and maintain health services.
“We also want the Senate to appeal to the FCT Minister to provide free land or subsidised land for hospitals, especially as required in the master plan to enable us to meet hospital requirements for each local community,’’ she said. (NAN)
OEO/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola