Labour Backs Rivers Taxes, Levies Harmonisation Bill

The Organised Labour in River State has stated their support for the Taxes and Levies Harmonization Bill presently before the state House of Assembly.

Speaking to The Tide, the state chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) ,Comrade Chika Onuegbu, said the organised Labour was encouraged by the good works of the state government to resolve the confusion and conflicts regarding which tier of government, department or agency is the appropriate collection authority for various taxes and levies in the state.

Comrade Onuegbu said the taxes and levies harmonization bill is expected to streamline the taxes and levies collectible in the state.

He said prior to this bill many residents and business community in the state have had to content with double or multiple payment of the same tax and levy, stressing that the bill would address issues around the jurisdictional conflicts between the various tiers of government with respect to the collection of taxes and levies in the state.

The labour leader said the position of  labour is that the bill should not be used as a ploy by the state government to introduce any new form of taxes or levies in the state.

He said labour’s position was informed by the surreptitious manner of the Federal government rather than increase  in the tax reliefs due to Nigerian workers deceitfully increased in the burden of the workers through the new Personal Income Tax Amendment (PITAM) Act 2011.

Comrade Onuegbu said workers today have noticed a sharp increase in their tax liability, a huge reduction in their take home pay and the mesmerisation of the salary increases via salary relativity and minimum wage.

He said labour is not comfortable with the provision of section 1 (2) of the bill which gave wide powers which should not be vested on a single officer. The provisions of 1 (2) of the bill states “The Commissioner in Charge of Finance shall from time to time modify the first and second schedules to this law by adding, deleting or altering the schedules in order to bring them in conformity with the provisions of any law providing for the payment of taxes and levies in the state”.

The TUC Chairman said the taxes and levies Harmonization bill must be consistent with the relevant Federal Laws in streamlining and harmonizing all taxes and levies approved for collection by the Federal, State  and  Local Governments, stressing  that the State House of Assembly and the State Government must act within the provision of the Taxes and Levies Approved List for collection Act T2 LFN 2004 in all matters relating to taxes and levies in the state.

The Union leader further said that bill should not be used to circumvent the Taxes and Levies Act T2 LFN 2004 by the state government.

Comrade Onuegbu appealed to the Leadership of the State House of Assembly to consider the interest of the workers and the Labour as raised stressing that the organised Labour will not obey any law that is made deceitfully by calling for public hearing and thereafter ignoring stakeholders views raised at the public hearing when crafting the law.

Philip Okparaji