By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) Anambra state chapter has threatened to shut down services if the state government refuses to reverse the heavy taxation on transporters.
RTEAN issued the warning following a joint meeting held on Thursday in Awka, the state capital.
The association said that they would within the next two weeks down tool if the state government refuses to call them for a meeting to address the challenges.
Amb. Chinedu Nwabueze, RTEAN State Chairman, who is also the Deputy State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said that they had sent several letters to the state government on the matter without any response.
According to him, the state government, through the State Board of Internal Revenue, has been imposing heavy taxation on transporters and intimidating drivers.
“The state government has been double taxing us, harassing our members, and intimidating our drivers, which has, on several occasions, led to the death of our members,” he stated.
He criticized the government’s policies on the sub-transport sector, arguing that they have been implemented without consideration of key stakeholders.
Nwabueze noted that the State Revenue Service has repeatedly awarded contracts to individuals and companies for the collection of levies and taxes on federal roads in the state, describing the collections as illegal and unconstitutional.
He revealed that an average tricycle driver in the state pays about N96,000 in taxes annually, while those operating in major markets pay less than N30,000 each year.
He argued that the taxation on tricycle drivers, which is meant to alleviate poverty, is excessively high and unacceptable.
“We shall resist the government agents collecting levies and taxes on federal highways from our members,” he said.
He said President Bola Tinubu has given an order stopping collections of levies and taxes on some items, like food stuffs and others, but in Anambra state they still collect the illegal fees.
He appealed to President Tinubu and Inspector General of Police to empower them to enforce the order on federal highways.
He also appealed to the state government to convene a stakeholders’ roundtable within the next two weeks to discuss the issue.
He warned that if not addressed, they would be left with no other choice than to shut down services or seek legitimate actions.
According to him, the union is not fighting the state government’s policies, but rather opposing the detrimental policies that undermine the government’s good intentions.
