Traders and transporters in the South Eastern part of the the country have expressed their grievances over the undue collection of taxes and levies, particularly by touts and market unions in this region.
According to Vanguard, these category of residents revealed their concerns in a survey conducted on the Effects of Multiple taxes on businesses which was conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria.
It was said that the act of incessant collection of taxes was rampant in the transport sector where touts supposedly collect money on behalf of the government.
Mr Odira Nnalue, a shuttle bus operator, said that multiple levies were still being paid as the effort of the Anambra Government to centralise the collection had proved abortive.
Nnalue said that these miscreant still continued collecting money from the drivers despite the directive of the government to pay just once monthly. He added that it was affecting business considering the cost of fuel.
Mr Ogonna Ofodike, a shop owner, said traders in Anambra also experiences incessant collection of taxes.
However, Gov. Chukwuma Soludo said his “administration was addressing the menace of multiple taxation.”
According to Soludo, “we are coming up with a tax system that is simple, progressive and technology-driven.”
“The touts will be eased out of the way because these people collecting the multiple levies are illegal agents who ensure that 90 per cent of the money collected enters private pockets, they do not come to the government.”
According to Vanguard, the Ebonyi business owners have said the current multiple tax system is causing setback for their businesses especially now that there is the upsurge of prices and unfavorable economy.
They therefore appealed to the Federal and State Government to put the activities of these tax collectors to check particularly those who have position on highways within the state.
Meanwhile, multiple taxation is also a challenge in Enugu as every category of trader decried the collection of multiple taxes.
