By PHILOMINA ATTAH

The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has extended full implementation of its Single Revenue Account Policy to allow completion of critical technical upgrades.

AMAC Chairman, Mr. Christopher Maikalangu, confirmed the decision in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, saying the extension follows the policy’s initial rollout for the 2026 fiscal year

He said the extension was a proactive step to protect taxpayers from system errors or possible double-billing during integration.

“The measure is to ensure a seamless transition and safeguard residents while the system is being stabilised,” Maikalangu said.

The council is migrating to a unified digital payment platform to curb revenue leakages and eliminate manual cash handling.

Officials cited “technical glitches” in synchronising the AMAC Smart Tax portal with commercial banks and the central treasury system.

“Business owners should note that existing official payment channels remain valid until the new system is fully certified,” Maikalangu said.

He urged taxpayers to verify all demand notices, stressing that only notices bearing verified 2026 AMAC digital headers should be honoured.

“A new go-live date for mandatory single account usage will be announced after the technical audit,” he added.

In spite of the delay, Maikalangu reaffirmed the ban on unauthorised revenue collection.

“The delay is technical, not administrative. The ban on cash payments to individuals remains,” he said.

He warned residents against impostors posing as technical consultants to solicit private payments.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the policy underpins the 2026 budget, which allocates 80 per cent of capital spending to rural infrastructure.

NAN also reports that automation is expected to boost internal revenue by blocking loopholes that previously diverted public funds. (NAN)