The Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Finance yesterday held a public hearing on a bill to harmonise taxes and eliminate the collection of levies by unions and other unauthorised groups in the state.
The bill is titled “A Bill for a Law to Enact the Lagos State Harmonised Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Law, to Provide for the Collection of Taxes and Levies by the State and its Local Government Councils and for Related Matters,”
According to the proposed legislation, no individual other than the relevant tax authority shall assess or collect revenue on behalf of the state or any local government council in Lagos State.
The bill also stipulates that no person, association, union, group, or body of persons—including any tax authority—shall mount roadblocks in any part of the state for the purpose of collecting taxes, levies, or membership dues.
“The relevant tax authority shall do all such things as may be necessary and expedient for the assessment and collection of taxes and levies, including the deployment of technology for assessment, collection, and other activities related to tax administration,”the bill states.
The proposed law further provides that no local government council or state institution may authorise the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) to collect taxes or levies on its behalf without clearly defined terms and conditions.
It also grants individuals the right to seek legal redress against any collector or government authority that imposes unlawful taxes or levies.
According to the bill, any individual or group that mounts a roadblock for the purpose of collecting taxes, levies, fees, or membership dues commits an offence and shall be liable upon conviction to a fine of N5 million or imprisonment for three years, or both.
The bill also seeks to harmonise daily ticketing charges such as market levies, animal trade taxes, slaughter or abattoir fees, transporters’ tickets, and other related charges. Rates, where applicable, are to be determined by the State Joint Revenue Committee.
Under the proposal, the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service would serve as the collecting authority, with revenue shared between the state government and local government councils.
Speaking during the public hearing, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, represented by the Deputy Speaker,Mrs Mojisola Meranda, said the gathering reflected the democratic and participatory legislative tradition of the Assembly.
According to him, lawmaking must not only be constitutional and progressive, but also inclusive and people-oriented.
