• As Lagos govt introduces Consolidated Informal Transport Sector Levy

Lagos State government, on Tuesday, announced the introduction of a Consolidated Informal Transport Sector Levy of N800 daily to be paid by each bus driver, saying the initiative, which is to take effect from 1st of February, was to harmonise the taxes paid by transporters to the state government.

The new development, which will witness each bus driver paying N800 daily totalling not less than N288,000 annually to the covers of the state government, is being introduced on the heels of research carried out by an independent body in 2021, revealing that Lagos generated not less than N125bn annually from the collection of levies from the transport sector.

The State Commissioner for Finance, Dr Rabiu Olowo, who spoke at a press conference, which took place at Bagauda Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, and attended by stakeholders in the transport sector, said with the payment of the levy, each transporter would be entitled to a tax card daily to have a hitch-free exercise.

This was just as he described the development as a remarkable achievement happening for the first time in the state.

Those in attendance include the Special Adviser (SA) to the State Governor on Transportation, Mr Toyin Fayinka; Chairman and Secretary of Conference of 57, Mr David Kolade and Mr Razaq Ajala respectively.

Others are; Chairman, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), Mr Ayodele Subair; Managing Director, Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr Ibrahim Odumboni; Chairman, Lagos chapter of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya popularly called MC Oluomo, among others.

Olowo said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu made it a priority to put the interest of Lagosians first, adding that the new initiative that takes care of personal income taxes, dues on the environment, Local Government levy and others was a way to reduce the multiplicity of collection taxes, dues and levies in the state.

“Mr Governor has made it a priority to put the interest of Lagosians first that is why we all the stakeholders are here today. Before we came out, we have fought, disagreed and agreed on the need to have our consolidated informal transport sector levy.

“The government of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has inspired that we all come together to have a consolidated levy that takes care of personal income taxes, dues on environment Local Government levy and others. We want to reduce the multiplicity of collection taxes, dues and levies.

“We want to build a reliable database so that all the players will be captured in the same data; we want to have bus drivers with their cards; we want to bring collaborative engagement,” he said.

The commissioner, while reiterating that an average bus driver currently pays not less than N3,000 daily as a levy, said the state government was poised to harmonise things and have a single charge of N800 daily, even as he further described the new initiative as a very insightful breakthrough for all those who do business within informal transport sector in the state.

“We want to harmonise, to have a single charge of N800. We want to moderate the fee payable to the goverment. This is a very insightful breakthrough for all those who do business within informal transport sector in the state,” he said.

NURTW Chairman, Lagos chapter, Alhaji Akinsanya, while clarifying the issue, stated that the N800 would not cover the levy collected by the ‘agberos,’ saying it only affected the taxes and other charges being collected by the state government.

According to him, “I want to make it clear that the N800 daily levy only covers all the money collected by the MDAs; it does not affect NURTW ticket.”

Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr Fayinka, explained that with the new development, a bus driver who pays at any given local government at the point of departure, won’t have to pay any levy again in the course of his journey.

“A bus driver from Badagry having paid N800 to Badagry Local Government and going to Mike 2, won’t pay again to Ojo Local Government. The payment at the point of departure takes care of the daily levy and other charges by the government,” Fayinka stated.

LIRS boss, Subair, in his own remark, expressed delight in bringing onboard large transport family in the state, noting that the new approach was one of the ways of harmonizing the levies in the transport sector, adding: “Anybody interested to have a good transport that works must bring everybody on board.”

“This system will ensure that the government will govern well and residents will be lawful citizens and will improve the standard of living. We call for full cooperation to ensure that everything works well,” Subair said.

Chairman Conference 57, Hon Kolade, described the signing of the new agreement as “symbolic and historic,” saying that the government appreciated the support of Union members in having a hitch-free outcome.

“It is a win-win situation for all of us. Whatever levy apportioned to us will be spent judiciously,” he said.

The briefing later culminated in the signing of the agreement by all the stakeholders in the transport sector.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/lagos-bus-drivers-to-pay-n800-each-to-govt-daily/?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter

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This what you get with APC. Hardship!

Expect fares to go up because it was clearly made known in the release that union dues won't be affected.
In otherwords,these commercial operators would still pay all the assorted union dues and then pay this extra ₦800.
The rate at which every space and major street is being turned to a bus or Keke stop in Lagos and every major road has an Union ticket issuer/money collector I am beginning to feel each councillor,council chairman,union leader,traditional ruler Baale and Omonile head have been allocated route areas to collect money from.
One of the major employers of labour in Lagos State now seems to be Union work because every street would soon become a union due collecting point;your route pass the street u must pay.
Lagos has now officially legalised agberoism.No wonder they don't obey lastma or police any longer.

The one touts keep collecting is not enough? Tinubu is just a psycho

Campaign fund.

MC Oluomo don impose tax o

800 naira daily too much na. Las las na innocent commuters go pay the levy.

Hahahahaha..... Money wey SAWOLU-OLU & MC OLUOMO wan take support TINUBU FOR PRESIDENT.....Una never see anything yet.

That's risible and insensitive

Seyi Makinde has introduced this crazy extortionist plan, now other Governors are latching on

Obaseki did it, Seyi Makinde did it now Sanwo-Olu


.

If you're poor in Nigeria, go back to village. Everything is officially costly

Good development. Instead of those lousy NURTW collecting dues and feeding fat on the liquidity of the public transportation system, the someone of the money should also go to the state government coffers.


Modify: to everyone quoting me, you can rest now.

Ha! Una never see nothing. Money must be raised for baby's election campaign

Hope agberos will stop their bullshit after drivers pay dat money.

Hahaha ha







Tinubu handwork! Na so them go take tax the hell out of Nigerians in the name of economic development

Tinubus campaign must be funded

Wahala for person wey run transport business for Lagos.

And yet, those "transportation business is money" promoters would soon arrive to tell us how you drivers make 8-10k/day profits while conductors make 7k/day.

Where is the profit in this?

And MC Oluomo says the new charges doesn't concern him

Na passengers go suffer am

Nice one

We need more money to support our incoming Lagos State president

Transport fare will increase.

Lagos government knows it is the people that will pay this money, not bus drivers

Another Looting wan start be that

Hmmm ajah we go hear weee from those guys walai

They all voted for change.

More money for Tinubu campaign