Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has ordered immediate suspension of daily taxation of petty traders.

 

With the order, the daily toll revenue collection from traders without lockup shops comes to an end with immediate effect.

 

A task force has also been put in place to ensure that the order is not violated.

 

Governor Mbah, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, gave the order on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting on the clarification and harmonisation of revenue collection in markets across the state.

 

The forum was organised by the State Internal Revenue Service, held at the Old Government Lodge, describing the people as vulnerable traders.

 

According to the governor, collection of those toll revenue is now illegal.

 

He also set up a taskforce team chaired by the SSG to ensure maximum compliance, vowing that anyone caught collecting the 100 or 200 Naira toll revenue, either for the government or individual will face the full weight of the law.

 

Mbah further charged the local government chairmen, traditional rulers, market leaders and the Presidents-General to report to the taskforce team when there is a violation of the directive.

 

Meanwhile, the order does not affect traders in the lockup shops who pay 30,000 or 36,000 Naira annually, Mbah noted that his administration detests any action that escalates people’s sufferings.