Senator Sharafadeen Alli, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, has faulted Governor Seyi Makinde’s indifference to the passage of the Tax Harmonisation Law.
The development has fuelled illegal levies on farm produce and goods moved across the state by non-state actors parading as revenue agents of the Makinde-led administration, Alli said in a statement on Sunday.
Bisi Oladele, Director of Media & Publicity
Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO), who signed the statement on behalf of his principal, lamented that the actors mount roadblocks, harass, molest and extort struggling farmers moving produce from Oyo North to Ibadan, while business owners moving goods from Ibadan to other parts of the state also face levies at different points.
According to him, multiple taxes on the movement of farm produce within the state have raised the cost of basic goods and depleted profit margins for farmers and small-scale businesses.
He added: “These non-state actors have repeatedly harassed, molested and extorted money under spurious subheads from struggling and hardworking farmers who move their farm produce from Oyo North to Ibadan. Business owners who transport goods from Ibadan to sell in other parts of the state have also reported being levied at different road blocks erected by these non-state actors.
“Multiple taxes on the movement of farm produce and commodities within the Oyo State road transport corridor adds to the high cost of basic goods, and in some cases, depletes the profit margin of these farmers and small-scale business owners.”
He regretted that despite the urgent need to protect citizens, businesses, traders and farmers, Oyo under Makinde has failed to show commitment to passing the law, while many forward-looking states have done so.
He urged the Governor to turn over a new leaf, saying domestication of the Tax Harmonisation Law will harmonise taxes across states and local governments, eliminate arbitrary collections and end the activities of illegal collectors who harass motorists under the guise of revenue collection.
Alli promised that the law will be passed within his first 100 days in office if elected governor.
He said: “The people of Oyo State deserve a tax system that protects farmers, transporters, business owners and consumers, a tax system that encourages businesses rather than burdens them, and a tax system that promotes economic growth and prosperity.”