Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, has ordered immediate suspension of daily taxation of petty traders across the state.
Governor Mbah, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, gave the order on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting on the clarification and harmonisation of revenue collection in markets across the state, held at the Old Governor’s Lodge, Enugu.
The forum was organised by the State Internal Revenue Service, describes the people affected as vulnerable traders.
According to the governor, collection of those toll revenue is now illegal and punishable if violated.
He also set up a taskforce team chaired by the SSG to ensure maximum compliance, vowing that anyone caught collecting the 100 or 200 Naira toll revenue, either for the government or individual will face the full weight of the law.
Mbah further charged the local government chairmen, traditional rulers, market leaders and the Presidents-General to report to the taskforce team when there is a violation of the directive.
Meanwhile, the order does not affect traders in the lockup shops who pay 30,000 or 36,000 Naira annually, Mbah noted that his administration detests any action that escalates people’s sufferings.
The state ALGON chairman, Okechukwu Edeh, who spoke on behalf of other council chairman, promised formidable implementation of the new order.
