Governor of Ebonyi, Francis Nwifuru, has ordered revenue collectors not to collect taxes from vegetable sellers and other petty traders in the state.
The directive was contained statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Monday Uzor, in Abakaliki on Wednesday, describing the collection of taxes from vegetable sellers as inhuman.
Nwifuru urged spoke during the swearing-in of members of the Revenue Appeal Commission held at centenary city, New Government House, Abakiliki.
He said they should go after big business owners as there was no reason to collect tax from people selling their farm produce in the local markets.
“I want you to go for big big business owners. I have told the Revenue Service, I don’t want you to go to the village markets and be collecting tax from vegetable sellers, I have said it times without number.
“I don’t see reasons we should be taxing people who are selling what they got from their farms,” the governor said.
Furthermore, Nwifuru told the Chairman of the Revenue Service and Appeal Commission, Augustine Nwankwegu, and other members to go about their duties with a human face to improve the Internally Generated Revenue of the state and not step on the toes of the people.
He said; “I don’t want shouting, I don’t want closing people’s shops, you have to look at the people’s shops and tax them based on what they have, everything is all about negotiations”.
