Wa, Jan. 25, GNA - The Wa Municipal Assembly on Friday locked up the premises of the "Hotel Du Pond" a popular hotel in the municipality for non-payment of property rates and gave several other organisations an ultimatum to either settle their indebtedness or face similar punitive measures.

The assembly also issued a warning to the Regional Directorate of the Ghana Telecom who owed up to 147 million cedis to settle their indebtedness before January 28, this year.

Briefing newsmen after the exercise, Mr Humphrey Naabo, Wa Municipal Co-ordinating Director said Hotel Du Pond owed the Assembly about 6.3 million cedis but anytime the proprietor was served a notice he tore it before the bearers, which was a total display of contempt.

He explained that several individuals and organisations in the municipality had often evaded tax with a funny explanation that "indigenous persons don't pay tax".

Mr Naabo warned that, the Assembly would clamp down on all property rate defaulters and gave the assurance that it would use all legal means to recover all revenue due it.

"How can they keep enjoying our facilities and services and keep on refusing to honour their tax obligations," he queried.

He said it was criminal to keep on doing business without paying taxes and warned that such persons could be prosecuted.

"Can you imagine that organisations and individual business men have since 2000 not paid their property rates" he asked.