Point of Sales, POS, operators willing to continue business in the Federal Capital Territory will have to move their businesses away from roadsides and other unapproved places, as the FCTA has restricted their activities to commercial areas only.
The Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, AMMC, Umar Shuaibu, who disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja, said the indiscriminate activities of the operators was becoming threat to security.
He stressed that the FCTA would not allowed PoS operators to illegally take over sensitive areas that are not designated for commercial purposes, noting that the Abuja Master plan is systemically structured to have the neighbourhood concept that will bring all services closer to the people.
The Cordinator, while insisting that the administration was not completely against POS business in Abuja said, “Financial services are brought closer to the people because of the CBN cashless policy that is why we have PoS operators, let there be sanity. However, there are challenges. The point of sales operators do not operate in the areas that they are supposed to operate, according to the provision of the master plan.
“We have commercial centres, plazas, markets, super markets and filling stations, these are areas for commercial activities, so the PoS operators have to liaise with owners of these property for their services, this is in line with international best practices.
“Henceforth, all PoS operators must relocate to commercial areas and liaise with the premises’ owners, where their services are needed. This will help check mate insecurity.”
Also Speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah, explained that FCT Minister particularly frowned at those who unlawfully cite their POS outlets in areas that jeopardise security.
Attah noted that while enforcement team will not be concerned with operators who limit their activities within commercial places, those who constitute nuisance and a security threat will be removed.
According to him, “there are complaints by residents that strange people were indiscriminately operating POS within their gates and streets. We support POS business, but frown at those operations that threaten security of our people.”