IMSAA Set to Carry Out Enumeration Exercise Mid December, Calls For Full Support from Business Owners

ThankGod Emeh.

The Management of Imo Signage and Advertisement Agency, IMSAA said it has concluded plans to carry out full enumeration of business outfits in the state in the build-up to the 2021 fiscal year.

The General Manager of the Agency, Hon. Chibuzor Umunnakwe disclosed this in an exclusive interview with News Corner Media on Wednesday December 2, 2020.

Hon. Umunnakwe emphasized that the enumeration exercise which will start from the second week of December 2020 and last for two weeks is geared towards building a data base of the Agency’s revenue points. He said the exercise is critical to the functioning of the Agency because it would help the Agency pinpoint and reach revenue points within a locality and that this way, the Agency would ensure that all potential revenue payers to IMSAA are brought into the revenue net. Furthermore, he said the enumeration exercise would help the Agency to plan her environmental management strategies and determine how to tax businesses and organisations.

“We want to enumerate so as to have a comprehensive data and be well equipped to know the number of businesses and signages as to project for the year 2021”

The GM stressed that when businesses are not counted, it becomes difficult to make projections and to work within target hence the need for the exercise. He noted that the exercise would also benefit businesses in the state, saying: “some of the data collected during the enumeration can be made available
to companies and businesses that are registered with IMSAA. For instance we can use the data to connect business to business on request, at no charge.”

“COVID-19 and #EndSARS protest and a whole lot has happened this year and some businesses have gone down, some are managing to survive while some businesses are also coming up so if we have data of all these businesses, that will help us so that when we are doing our projection, we can authoritatively state what will be made for the government in the coming year (2021)”, Hon. Umunnakwe expressed.

The IMSAA Boss while fielding questions on his achievements over his four months assumption of office, noted that the revenue base and enforcement capability of the Agency have tremendously increased and improved under his watch, adding that the Agency has trained her staff well enough on customer service in order to put a human face to revenue collection and to differentiate Agency staff from touts and impostors.

He further pointed out periodic sensitization of the public on the media, increased visibility and Agency branding as some of the hallmarks of his tenure.

“Our revenue base increases day by day as we try our best to change the narrative because IMSAA is a revenue generating Agency set up to control and regulate billboards and brand activations. When we came on board we discovered that Imolites do not know who’s who so we needed to increase our visibility and one cannot see an IMSAA enforcement team go on enforcement drive without a branded official vehicle.”

“Our officials wear their customized Aprons. Our numbers are out there so people can reach us.”

“We also ensure we give our staff the adequate training and engagement for safety and anger management”

The IMSAA head man who spoke on the need for standardization and proper specifications of materials used in outdoor advertising in the state stressed that business owners cannot just site billboards anywhere they wish but should reach out to IMSAA for guidance, noting that the management and staff of the agency are poised to change the landscape of the city in a manner to beautify it.

“IMSAA does not own advertising structures, rather it controls and regulates them by way of specifying the materials used in erecting billboards and signages”

“And people cannot wake up and site billboards anywhere but have to carry the agency along because the Agency is poised to change the landscape of the city in a manner to beautify it”

“We want to standardize our works as well as bring professionalism as obtainable in advanced countries and cities like Dubai and Lagos among others back home. There are weak structures that need to be fortified to stand the test of time and not endanger the lives of Imolites.”

Pointing out the major challenges affecting the operations of the agency, the renowned advert professional, Hon. Chibuzor Umunnakwe disclosed that COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, EndSARS protests and the aftermath realities among other factors rate high on the list.

“The pandemic has been a major setback on the fortunes of businesses, government as well as families and when businesses are closed, revenues are badly affected. The revenue agencies were all affected and it affected the ability of people to pay taxes as they were not doing business.”

Hon. Umunnakwe called on the general public especially business owners to always support the government as well as the Agency to regulate outdoor advertising across the state.

“Please give your total support to IMSAA officials whenever and wherever you see them and ensure you are captured in the enumeration exercise”, he urged.

Moreso, the Director of Operations in Imo Signage and Advertisement Agency, Ken Ekezie who spoke alongside the GM said there is cordial working relationship with advertising practitioners in the state stressing that while Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, APCON is a regulatory body for federal government in charge of vetting all commercial advertisements, IMSAA is only concerned about the structure of the campaign billboards and signposts.

©️News Corner.