Niger state government has taken far reaching steps to ensure survival of small businesses with the ban on taxation of hawkers and petty traders across the state.
This is coming against the backdrop of lamentations by petty traders who have meager sum as capital, and are being harassed on a daily basis by state and local government revenue collectors.
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago announced the new order, adding that the measure is part of efforts to check exploitative tendencies among state and local government council revenue collectors.
Governor Bago told journalists that petty traders are being exploited with taxes notwithstanding that they have meagre amount of money as capital used in setting up their businesses.
Governor Bago encouraged Local Government Area Chairmen and Councilors to step up actions to ensure enforcement of the new order with immediate effect.
The Governor told the Chairmen and Counselors that the state has a centralized tax system that has exempted all hawkers and petty traders said on no account should the new order be violated.
“We have observed with dismay how petty traders and hawkers are being exploited with multiple taxes”, this, the Governor said must not be allowed to continue.
“As a government, we have resolved that henceforth, no trader, no petty trader, especially those of them with low capital should be taxed”.
“Hawkers, including petty traders are tax-free in any of our markets and commercial hubs in Niger state”, adding that anybody found taxing them will be dealt with with the full wrath of the law for extortion”.
(Independent)
