Abuja to slash taxes, levies 83% to enable citizens and businesses breathe
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Nigeria has more than 60 different forms of taxes and levies which must be reduced to make life bearable for people and businesses, Taiwo Oyedele, Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee Chairman, has stressed.
He disclosed on Channels Television the committee is working to reduce taxes and levies to fewer than 10, a decrease of 83.33 per cent.
“Up together today, we have over 60 of those different taxes and levies. We think we should have [fewer] than 10 in single digits,” Oyedele pitched.
“We think by having [fewer] than 10 that the magic is that people will actually pay less, and government will collect more because where you get the efficiency from is the collection that sometimes does not go to the government today.
“The Market Traders Association told us that you need seven tickets every day just to sell pure water. Seven tickets for what? That is from the local government, but it is not in the Constitution.”
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Tax collections not remitted to government coffers
Oyedele said most of these taxes are imposed buy local governments but money collected most of the time is not remitted to government coffers, per The PUNCH.
According to him, some local governments take advantage of the Constitution to levy payments such as wheel barrow tax, and pure water tax on the poor in society who are struggling to make ends meet.
He acknowledged Nigerians do not trust the government, which is one of the reasons for them not paying tax.
Oyedele urged citizens to focus on holding the government accountable and transparent.