Parking fees agents default payments
By Arusha Times Reporters
Just about three months after new agents were awarded tender of charging vehicle
parking fees in Arusha City, the contract with the agents is facing hitches. Two
of the companies have reportedly failed to remit a total of about Tsh.88 million
to the Municipal Council.
Sources from inside the council reveal that M/S Makumira Petroleum Station
Limited, which is the company chosen to collect private vehicle parking fees in
town, effective from July 2005, has not paid its dues to the authorities, for
the two consecutive months of August and September this year, amounting to
Tsh.45.8 million, at the rate of Tsh. 22.9 million per month.
This, according to the sources is despite the fact that the company continues to
charge parking fees, at the rate of Tsh.200 per hour from each vehicle which
parks within the 'city' precincts, 12 hours a day, from Monday to Friday and six
hours every Saturday.
An official letter with Reference number; AMC/ME/106/325 made available to this
paper this week, has also mentioned the other company, M/S Arusha Building
Component, of having defaulted to settle its two months dues amounting to
Tsh.9.6 million, from collecting daily operating fees from the town commuter
vans.
The letter, dated 12th of September this year, was signed by the Municipal
Engineer, Simon Ngagani as an official directive to the Council Attorney,
instructing the latter to take the necessary steps against the two companies,
suggesting both the nullification of their contracts and liquidation of their
bond capital placed as security for the undertaking.
".... In reference to the contract (s) that (the companies) had tied with the
(Municipal) council and the 2003 Arusha Municipal Council By-law on vehicle
parking fees, I suggest legal steps be taken against them for breaching the
contract, including stopping their respective contract and using their security
bonds..." Read part of the letter, a copy of which was sent to the Municipal
Director.
Each collecting agent is required to pay his monthly dues to the council in
advance, on every 25th date of each month for every next instalment. The
payments for October for instance, were supposed to be already settled by
September 25. If the two companies have not done so, then that will be their
third month debt as well, shooting up the cumulative debt to Tsh.87.9 million.
The Municipal Director expressed his concern over the issue, though adding that
the Council Treasurer was in better position to comment. The Treasurer, one Mr.
Mpeta said he should be given time to consider the matter.
When Makumira Petrol Station was contacted, its spokesman, Morris Ngulelo said
that his company highly respected the contract it had signed with the council.
He however neither admitted nor refuted the allegations of defaulted payments.
"All I can say is that, the winning of this tender has irked many people who are
now out to mud-
sling us due to sheer jealousy," said Ngulelo. "You see, many people here are
not very happy with our country's development and will do anything to sabotage
it!" Efforts to contact the people in charge at Arusha Building Component were
unsuccessful.
Makumira Petrol Station won the vehicle parking fees collection tender last
July, beating three other companies including the former agent, JN Mining
Limited, which was the first company to collect the levy since its introduction
in 2003. Arusha Building Component on the other hand, won the town-bus fee
collection tender, while M/S Sunrise Limited was awarded the tender to collect
terminal fees for larger buses that dock in town. M/S Sunrise Limited however
are commended for submitting their dues in time.
|
