Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has cautioned revenue collectors against collecting taxes from vegetable sellers and other petty traders.
This warning was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Monday Uzor, in Abakaliki on Wednesday.
He stated that the governor dropped the hint during the swearing-in of members of the Revenue Appeal Commission held at centenary city, New Government House, Abakiliki.
Nwifuru described the collection of taxes from vegetable sellers as inhuman and urged them to avoid such acts.
He said there was no reason to collect tax from people selling their farm produce in the local markets.
“I want you to go for big big business owners.
“I have told the Revenue Service, I don’t want you to go to the village markets and be collecting tax from vegetable sellers, I have said it times without number.
“I don’t see reasons we should be taxing people who are selling what they got from their farms,” he advised.
The governor urged Augustine Nwankwegu, Chairman of the Revenue Service and Appeal Commission, and its members to go about their duties with a human face to improve the Internally Generated Revenue of the state and not step on the toes of the people.
“I don’t want shouting, I don’t want closing people’s shops, you have to look at the people’s shops and tax them based on what they have, everything is all about negotiations,” he said.
Nwankwegu, who spoke on behalf of the appointees, thanked the governor and assured him that the revenue service would work hard to improve the revenue of the state as well as improve the ease of doing business in the state.
