By Fatimah Muraina
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A trader, Mrs Blessing Ofen-mu has cried out against multiple taxation of traders in the state.
She warned that if the trend continues, it might force many petty traders struggling to survive to go into extinction.
Mrs Ofen-mu made the request in an interview with The Hope in Akure, Ondo state capital.
She applauded government for encouraging people to be self reliant and creating employment for others.
She decried a situation in which many officers representing several agencies extorting money from traders under the guise of taxation, adding that the trend was affecting their business.
” The local government will come for trading permit, state government will come through the BIR and smoke emission also comes and one has to pay for both the testing and when you are not guilty you are made to pay for the test to be carried out”, she said.
She also complained about the signage tax and the new land use charge under implementation now.
She pleaded that government should consider the running cost of their business to reduce the various taxes coming from different quarters
Her words: “I do not know what we should be paying and their rate. I do not know what their rates are. They just look at the size of the shop or building and write whatever they want and this really affecting our business”.
She said government should help and encourage them in business provide loan facility for them to boost their business.
