MAN to resist un-gazetted taxes in Rivers

Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in Rivers State says its members would not pay any taxes and levies not found in the government gazette.

MAN, Rivers/Bayelsa chapter, met on Tuesday, at an extra-ordinary annual general meeting (AGM) summoned to react to new tax demands in the state.

At the end of the emergency AGM, the executive secretary of the body, Emmanuel David Dorgbaa, in a statement to all members made available to BusinessDay, said it had become necessary to communicate the new stand of the members so all government agencies could harmonise their tax demands.

MAN frowned at what it called incessant demand notices especially those emanating on tax laws unknown to its members. The body said the demands had overburdened its members.

MAN said government should make haste and harmonise its revenue and tax demands to avoid many agencies asking for same taxes and levies, and that the body must be part of any such exercise. Tax harmonisation had been on in the state for over 10 years as each new government seemed to use the exercise to buy time.

The Chibuike Amaechi administration in particular dwelt on the harmonisation exercise all its eight years in office but no document came out of it, except some token such as a law banning touting plus a law stopping ‘marching ground. A levy forced out of land developers even after paying all legitimate fees.

MAN said it was not prepared to pay more than N100,000 per big company and N50,000 per small company for what is called fire levy. It said it would not pay more than N25,000 for renewal of business premises.

The state government and the Rivers Internal Revenue Service (RIRS) seemed to have rolled out new levies and taxes which may strain the huge embrace between the business community and the new administration in the state. Both groups have for months tried to avoid a confrontation but while the Nyesom Wike administration needs friends, it also needs alternative sources of income.