The Truth About IMSAA Enforcement Drive ||| NEWS CORNER

The attention of Imo Signage and Advertisement Agency, IMSAA has been drawn to an online news making the rounds where some aggrieved outdoor practitioners alleged they were being victimized by the State Government through the Agency, in its bid to carry out its lawful duty.

According to a press release by the Agency, the viral narrative is total fake news by mischief makers aimed at blackmailing the hardworking staff and management of IMSAA.

The agency added that the accounts presented to the public by the said aggrieved outdoor advertising practitioners is misplacement of facts and if not properly checked will cause IMSAA disrepute as well as incite the people against the agency and its legal duties in the state.

“As a responsible Agency, we cannot let such allegation go without a response because of its capacity to mislead the public. We are therefore compelled to state the facts as they are”

The agency emphasized that the its mandate is to recover tax owed to the government by defaulting practitioners, and not as wrongly stated hence it embarked on enforcement exercise adding that “Outdoor practitioners – local practitioners, and members of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) – fall within our regulatory ambit. Like other signage owners, they are subject to payment of permit fees for the billboards they own and operate in Imo State”

“It is well known that IMSAA was established in December 2019 to manage, regulate, and control the signage and outdoor advertising environment in Imo State. This mandate includes but not limited to regulation and control of placement of billboards and other outdoor signs, signages in business outlets, brand activations and events, temporary signs, and mobile advertisement, among others”

“While we commend the commitment of some of the practitioners to the discharge of their signage tax obligations to the government, some are serial defaulters”

According to IMSAA, the enforcement exercise is still on-going and the enforcement entails the removal of the advert material on their billboards/structures.

“Any information contrary to the above explanation can best be described as an effort at mischief and blackmail”, the agency concluded.

News Corner.