By Dipo Olowookere
The collection of personal income tax and levies from traders in Ebonyi State has been suspended by Governor David Umahi.
This followed complaints from market women in the state through their leader, Mrs Akoji Agnes, of illegal revenue collections by some fraudsters and illegal revenue collectors in the state.
Giving the directive on Monday, the Governor further said the collection of revenue by local councils in the state is also suspended till further notice.
Mr Umahi said those who have stalls or shops in any market in the state should pay only the consolidated revenue agreed by the state government with leaders of various markets in the state.
Speaking at a town hall meeting held at the Pa Oruta Ngele Stadium Abakaliki in the state capital, the Governor directed the Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe, to set up a committee on revenue to hold a meeting with market women, traders, council chairmen, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to come up with acceptable revenues they are to pay on certain period of time.
He said it was unfortunate that fraudsters have capitalized on the ignorance of the people on the harmonised consolidated revenue to defraud traders and landlords in the state.
“All these women who don’t have shops and who are selling vegetables, nobody should collect any tax or levy from them again,” he said.
Adedapo Adesanya