Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, stated that Nigeria has over 60 different types of taxes and levies.
Many of the levies, he continued, made living in society miserable for the poor.
Oyedele made the remark while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’.
He stated that his team was striving to lower taxes and levies to less than ten, representing an 83.33 percent reduction.
According to him, “Up together today, we have over 60 of those different taxes and levies. We think we should have less than 10 single digits. We think that by having less than 10, the magic is that people will actually pay less and the government will collect more because where you get the efficiency is the collection that sometimes does not go to the government today.
“The Market Traders Association told us that you need seven tickets every day just to sell pure water. Seven tickets for what? That is from the local government, but it is not in the constitution.”
He emphasised that the majority of these levies came from local governments and that the money they received was not always paid into government coffers.
According to him, some local governments were abusing the constitution by levying fees like wheelbarrow levies and pure water levies on the underprivileged in society who are struggling to make ends meet.
Oyedele also stated that one of the reasons Nigerians do not pay taxes is because they do not trust the government.
He added that Nigerians should focus on holding the government accountable and transparent.
