Aba market women, others reject multiple taxes by govt.
Eziukwu Market traders in Aba, Abia state have rejected the multiple taxes imposed on them by the state government.
The traders, who criticized the taxation on Monday, said that paying it would affect their financial obligations to their families.
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The women criticized breaking the taxation into related sub- heads and kicked against the N18, 000 tax imposed on owners of stalls in Eziukwu Market.
However, the Abia Trade and Investment Commissioner, Dr. Cosmos Ndukwe, described the protest as propaganda being used by the opposition to tackle the state government.
A trader in Zone 26 of the market, Mrs. Beatrice James, complained that the market’s stewards were making life difficult for them by imposing them with heavy bills throughout the year.
“We pay for environmental N2, 500 and sanitation N 2, 500 twice in a year, gutter fee N2, 000, central security N2, 500, Bakkassi security outfit N2, 000, fire extinguisher N2, 500, proposed hall construction N2, 000 and tax N3, 600.
“They collect multiple taxes from us; we pay for fire extinguisher without getting the extinguishers; we pay a total of N5, 500, yet our shops are broken into and our goods stolen after market hours.
“But, this year they said that we should be paying N18, 000, but we said it is too much and asked for a reduction to enable us to pay and they refused.
“So, we told them that we cannot pay such a sum and we went to court with them. Now, what they are doing is to go and pick any of us who they find in court after court sessions,” she said.
She noted that last week Monday, the traders went to the market only to find that government agents have locked their shops because of the N18, 000 levy.
Reacting to the protest, the commissioner, Dr. Cosmos Ndukwe, said the fees were not new as the collection of the fees started in 2015 following consultations with traders.
He said that the consultation gave birth to a law made by the state House of Assembly, adding that women dealing in perishables were supposed to pay only N3, 000 annually, while only shop owners are to pay N18, 000 per year.
