TRADERS IN FOODSTUFF AND CATTLE DECRY MULTIPLE
TAXATION IN SOUTH-SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST
The Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of
Nigeria (AUFCDN) has decried the multiple taxes imposed on
them on South-East and South-South highways.
The national president of AUFCDN, Mohammed Tahir, made this
known during a meeting of the union in Enugu on to enhance
market operations and promote their welfare.
Mr. Tahir blamed the high cost of food commodities in the South-
East on multiple taxations. He noted that the multiple taxations
perpetrated by illegal collectors on the road were seriously
discouraging its members from transporting foodstuff and cattle to
the southeast and south-south.
According to him, our members are mandated to pay revenue at
the loading and off-loading points, which is observed in the South-
West and the north.
“However, our members transporting foodstuff and cattle from the
north to south-south and southeast regions are facing many
challenges on the road like collection of multiple taxations.
“Some of the monies collected in the name of state revenue are
not remitted to the government but go into individual pockets. So,
we need to fight these illegal collections.
“For example, from Maiduguri to Lagos, there is no challenge.
After we pay revenue from the loading point in Maiduguri, we do
not pay any in Yobe, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Niger,
Kwara, Oyo, Ogun down to Lagos.
“But if you are coming to south-south and southeast from
Maiduguri, if you enter Benue, Cross River Ebonyi, Abia, Imo,
Rivers down to Bayelsa or Imo, Abia down to Enugu, Anambra,
Edo or Delta, it is too challenging.
“They are collecting money more than we agree. Like if you buy
N250,000 cow in Adamawa, before we reach here, the price of
the cow would be around N500,000 because of the expenses on
the road”, Mr Tahir said.
While urging the governors of the two geopolitical zones to
urgently look into the situation, the president promised to support
them to generate revenue from their members.
In his remarks, the Enugu State commissioner for agriculture,
Patrick Ubru, represented by Segun Olukoya, a consultant in
charge of revenue collection in the ministry, said the government
had introduced e-ticketing to eliminate illegal collection of taxes.
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