SOUTHERN PROVINCE

MUHANGA - Motorcycle operators in Muhanga District in the Southern Province have been asked to comply and pay public cleanliness taxes as provided for in the Government Official Gazette.

Vivens Ukubaho, the district taxation officer, said this yesterday, during an interview following the arrest and discontinuation of some motorcyclists in the Nyamabuye Sector.

At least 53 motorcycles were on December 24 impounded in a Police operation for allegedly refusing to pay the mandatory Rfw3000 for public cleaning services.

"All motorists should abide by these charges referred to in the presidential decree (No.02/01.31/03/2008) which empowers districts to collect public cleanliness taxes from all business operators,” Ukubaho said.

He added: "The district has held various meetings with the association of motorcycle operators informing them of the new charges but none has complied.

The operators are supposed to pay the arrears since April 2008 when the particular edition of the gazette was published, according to the taxation officer.

"Some operators have already started paying the charges but there is still resistance by a clique within the association-who don’t want to comply,” Ukubaho revealed.

Over 300 operators have preferred to withhold transport operations and have said that they were ignorant of the decree and that the district informed them late.

Jean de Dieu Nshimiyimana, an official of COOTRAVEMOMU-association of Motorcycle operators in Muhanga says that the district delayed to inform the association of the decree.

He added that after the sensitization, the operators would pay these charges but hastened to say that it should be done in a way that they are paid trough the cooperative not individually.

Ends