Business

Lagos Targets Churches, Mosques In 2012 Tax Drivea

Published

13 years ago

December 28, 2011

Churches and mosques in Lagos State may now have to “give unto Caeser, what is Caeser’s and render to God, what is God’s,” as the 2012 fiscal regime will now include activities in those religious houses under the state’s tax net.

Besides, tenants will, from January, deduct five per cent of rents payable as withholding tax and remit same into the government’s treasury.

Speaking at the third Lagos State Taxation Stakeholders Conference, held recently in Ikeja, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, explained that the new tax regime was scripted to enhance the state’s revenue base and promote effectiveness of governance.

Fashola explained that churches and mosques, who owned buildings used for business purposes, were not exempted from paying taxes to the government because they earn income from such businesses.

He said: “On the churches and the mosque, let us remember that whether it was a church or a mosque, it was first a building. And therefore, it is built with the same building materials that were used to build other private facilities.

“Nobody knows the difference at that time. And therefore, it cannot escape the regulatory law of the state in making building safe, it must comply. It is only when those, who are ordained dedicate the building to the propagation of religion that it becomes a church.

“In the same way, churches own facilities. Churches that run businesses should give something back to the government. Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and render unto God what is God’s.”

The governor also said tax should be paid on gifts received by individuals and urged Lagos residents to pay their taxes promptly so that government would have the money to carry out developmental projects.

He, however, appealed to the people to be more tax compliant. “If more people voluntarily pay the right amount of income taxes, the government will find enough money it needs to transform the state,’’ he stated.

On the five per cent withholding tax, Fashola said everybody, who pays rent, is collecting agents for the tax. “Everybody, who pays money to a doctor, lawyer for the services they rendered to him, is our collecting agent for that withholding tax.

“And we expect that they fairly collect, issue receipt and account for them. Once we have all of those documents and records, it should be easy for us at the end of the tax accounting year to set off all of these,” he said.

Fashola said collection of withholding tax would be part of government revenue drive in the New Year. He promised to enforce the payment of the tax. He said withholding tax would be collected on rent, dividend, contract, among others, stressing that in the case of rent, the tenants would serve as the collecting agents of withholding tax from the landlords for the services rendered.

He explained that the only way to make life as good as they are in the other jurisdictions such as Europe was for the people to provide the government with more resources to do so.

“We have the idea, we have signed on to work and really, whether you think we can do it or not, I think our experience and our record in the past four years show clearly that even if you disbelieve what we say, the evidence before you today makes it difficult for you to disbelieve what we have done and it speaks of what we can do if you give us the chance,” he added

Fashola said the role of tax consultants in the internal revenue drive of the state is to track and monitor revenues, payment that you make. “They don’t collect. The bills are still done by public servants now under the Internal Revenue Service.

“But at that time, our government did not know how many accounts it had and it did not know what was paid in. So, the money was there, depending on the benevolence of a bank that decided to be honest. But today, at the close of every business day, Lagos State government can tell you how much it has collected and in which bank it is. That is the energy the consultants have brought,” he said.

Noting that organisations that provided services deserved to be paid, the governor declared, “they have provided service, they have invested in ICT. It is only fair that they be paid. The only issue that can arise is whether or not we are getting a fair deal for the service that they render. But the idea that somebody who rendered service in a free economy should not be paid is alien to me.”

Corporate organisations presented with tax compliance awards included Nigerian LNG, Julius Berger, Coca Cola, Citi Bank Nigeria Limited and Standard Chartered Bank, among others, while private individuals included Chairman of Elizade Motors, Chief Michael Ade Ojo, former Chairman of Punch Nigeria Limited, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, among others.

Business

TTP Trains Customs Agents, Freight Forwarders On Eto App

Published

2 days ago

May 1, 2025

The Tide

In a concerted effort to tackle racketeering and reduce inflated transportation costs in the Nigeria’s seaports, Trucks Transit Parks Ltd. (TTP) has trained Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders on the use of its Ètò electronic call-up system.
The training was held recently at Customs Processing Centre (CPC) Auditorium, Apapa, Lagos, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and supported by the leadership of the Joint Association of Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders (JALCAFF), Apapa Command.
Speaking at the event, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu expressed appreciation to TTP for facilitating the training and emphasized the need for customs agents to take personal ownership of the Ètò booking process.
“I want to thank TTP for this impactful training. I encourage all customs agents to begin doing their own bookings directly. By doing so, they can take back power from the unscrupulous elements exploiting their lack of knowledge, selling tickets at highly inflated prices,” Olomu declared.
He noted that empowering agents with hands-on training was key to dismantling racketeering networks that have plagued access to the ports and frustrated efficient logistics processes.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Apapa Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Chief Emeka Chukwumalu, said the engagement was critical to the ongoing push to reduce cargo transportation costs and ease business operations at the Apapa Port.
According to a freight forwarder, “The training is basically for us to have awareness of the operations of the Ètò call-up system through TTP. We also want to brainstorm on ways to reduce the high cost of cargo transportation in Apapa Port.
“This training opened our eyes to how simple it is to book tickets ourselves. We now know the right steps to follow and how to avoid falling victim to fraudsters.”
Earlier, Head of Operations at TTP, Mr. Irabor Akonoman, talked on common misconceptions about ticket pricing, reaffirming that the cost of Ètò bookings had remained consistent since its inception.
“The official price remains the same since inception. What people are paying higher amounts for is the manipulation by racketeers”.

Business

NECA Holds MSME Fair To Drive Growth

Published

2 days ago

May 1, 2025

The Tide

Towards strengthening small businesses and promoting a more supportive regulatory environment, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) says it will hold the 2025 edition of its flagship MSMEs Fair on Tuesday (May 6, 2025).
The event, themed, “Galvanising MSMEs for Economic Growth and Stability”, will take place at NECA House in Lagos.
According to NECA’s Director-General, Mr Adewale Smatt Oyerinde, the fair seeks to provide micro, small, and medium enterprises with essential tools, resources, and strategic networks to thrive in Nigeria’s challenging business climate.
He emphasised the vital role MSMEs play in national development, describing them as the “lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy.”
Oyerinde noted that the fair is designed to offer entrepreneurs practical solutions to navigate economic uncertainties, regulatory hurdles, and business scalability issues.
A major attraction of this year’s event is the keynote address by the CEO of FATE Foundation, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, a prominent advocate for MSME development.
She is expected to share transformative insights on innovative strategies for sustaining and growing small businesses in Nigeria.
A unique feature of the fair will be interactive sessions with key regulatory bodies. Entrepreneurs will engage directly with agencies responsible for licensing, compliance, taxation, and business registration.
NECA said these sessions aim to demystify bureaucratic processes and foster a more enabling business environment.
It also said the fair will provide a platform for entrepreneurs to exhibit their products and services, connect with potential investors, and explore new markets.
It added that participants would gain critical knowledge on digital transformation, access to finance, and strategies for sustainable business growth.
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· NECA stressed that the fair aligns with its broader mission of promoting enterprise development and economic resilience.
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· “By empowering MSMEs with the right support and information, the organisation aims to stimulate job creation, innovation, and long-term economic stability”, NECA said.
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· The 2025 MSMEs Fair is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders, including financiers, tech experts, regulators, and industry leaders, all united in advancing the growth of Nigeria’s MSME sector.

Business

Over 2m Passengers Board Blue Rail Train – Commissioner

Published

2 days ago

May 1, 2025

The Tide

The Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, says over two million passengers have been transported on the Blue Line Rail since its launch, while state-run buses move an average of 42,000 commuters daily.
Osiyemi, who disclosed this during the Year 2025 Ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, on Tuesday, noted that the Lagos State Transport Policy, launched in May 2024, was now in its implementation phase, focusing on inclusivity, safety, affordability, and sustainability.
“On rail development, Phase One of the Blue Line (Marina to Mile 2) has served over two million passengers, with Phase Two (Mile 2 to Okokomaiko) in progress.
“Phase One of the Red Line (Agbado to Oyingbo) is now operational with eight stations and additional rolling stocks procured, while Phase two (Oyingbo to link Blue Line at National Theatre) is underway”, he said.
The Commissioner said in the state-owned bus operations, over 60 million commuters have been served since 2019, with daily ridership exceeding 40,000.
He also said plans were on to deploy new buses with Quality Bus Corridors under construction, adding that the Abule=Egba Bus Terminal had also been commissioned.
“For water transport, 15 locally-built Omibus Ferries have been launched and are in operation, with the Ijegun Egba Terminal now open.
“The OMI EKO project, in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), will deliver 25 terminals and 78 electric ferries.
“Over 280,000 passengers have used ferry services in the past year, and 12 boats have been upgraded to meet safety standards”, he said.
On road infrastructure and traffic management, the Commissioner said 49 junction improvement projects had been completed, including ongoing ones at Ikorodu, Iju, as well as Allen-Opebi-Toyin axis.
He added that solar-powered Traffic Signal Lights, road markings covering 67.9km, new medians, laybys, and 3,941 parking lots had also been provided.
Additionally, Osiyemi announced that the deployed Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras had detected over 470,000 traffic violations and that the Vehicle Inspection Service issued over one million roadworthiness certificates.
He also said that the Lagos State Drivers’ Institute trained more than 32,000 drivers in the past 13 months.
The event marked the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term, showcasing major strides in the transport sector under the THEMES+ agenda.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos