... Describes Levies On POS Operators As Oppressive, Illegal
The major opposition political party in Delta State, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has tongue lashed the ruling Peoples’Democratic Party (PDP), under Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration to allow Deltans to be taxed beyond their capacity.
A press release on Friday September 3rd 2021, by the Publicity Secretary of the party, (Caretaker), Sylvester Imonina, Esq , the party condemned the action in its entirety.
Read details below:
The business of government is regulated by existing laws. That is, anything done outside the law is null and void. Moreover, every law made by the legislature must have human face.
It is on the above premise that Delta chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) condemns in totality the indiscriminate collections of levies from operators of Point on Sale (POS) in the State, particularly in Ethiope East, Udu, Okpe Sapele, Ughelli North and Isoko North LGAs.
In Delta State, it is the Consolidated Revenue (Approved List of Collection) Law, and bye-laws of the different LGAs that govern what should be levied and the amount to be paid. In other words, what is not provided for in the law cannot by hook or crook be levied by anyone.
The information at the disposal of Delta APC is that some political goons, acting on the instructions of Council Chairmen go about harassing, intimidating and extorting monies from the struggling, oppressed and the downtrodden people who seek for jobs but have none from the State! For instance, in Udu LGA, POS operators are being compelled to pay the sum of #2,000 on a monthly basis. Some even collect as much as #3,000 monthly from each operator!
The unimaginable number of graduates in the State that are largely jobless, are the major operators of POS because they do not want to take to crime. Instead of these youth being empowered/encouraged, the unproductive and “grab grab” council chairmen unleash pains and horrors on them.What a Goverment!
Assuming without conceeding that the LGAs have power to collect those levies, Delta APC state that taxes and levies are paid annually, not monthly as being done in Udu LGA.
However, we still stand on the ground that those levies are illegal, oppressive and are without human face. Possession of chunks of monies by some POS operators do not mean that they owned the monies. Most of them go borrowing with interest in order to meet up with the vagaries of the business.
Deltans are not conquered people. Delta APC urges civil society organizations and all men of goodwill to challenge this illegality being perpetrated against our brothers and sisters.
Sylvester Imonina Esq.,
Publicity Secretary (Caretaker) APC Delta State.
3rd of September, 2021.
