…5% of the Tax should go back to Indigenes of the Market – Ona.
By Michael Odiah
Her Royal Highness Omu Anioma, Dr. Martha Dunkwu has charged market men and women on the need for them to pay their taxes, adding that it is a civic responsibility and necessary to fuel the activities of the market.
Dr. Dunkwu gave this charge on Monday, November 20, 2017 at the Office of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission when stakeholders of various Markets in the State met to discuss about the recently introduced Delta State Contributory Health Scheme as it concerns market men and women.
The traditional ruler who said that tax initiation and enforcement is not the problem but the appropriation of collected monies as regards the market, advised that the markets should be developed and sustained above average so that when the government comes for tax collections, the people would gladly comply.
Omu added that markets that operate once every four days should be considered against the backdrop that all market men and women are to pay one thousand naira as tax.
Also speaking at the meeting, the representative of the Director General, Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Dr Nwoko said that, Delta State is the first state in the country to fully launch the contributory health scheme, which was initiated by His Excellency, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to alleviate the financial challenges faced by Deltans when accessing medical care, thus, curb the evident norm in form of delays during data entry and other hospital protocols as every participants data will be readily available in the system.
Nwoko further disclosed that the commission is partnering with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) as regards data collation at all regions and that the sum of N7000 will be deducted annually from their annual tax for the scheme while the government will pay the sum of N7000 for every participant for the premium service adding that Governor Okowa is entirely happy with the market men and women for accepting the health scheme.
In their response, the President, Association of Market Men and Women Delta State, Mrs Kate Ona submitted that 5% of the tax should go back to the indigenes (host community) of the market because without them, there will seize to be a market in any given community, while a small fraction of the 5% will come back to the trade union.
Ona stressed that they the market men and women will only pay one tax and that it is left for the government to control the council people and Agberos who come to collect tax in tranches in likes of N20, N30 to enable them pay the state government tax.
She assured that they will be the ones to bring the registration officials for the health scheme as it will be a means to help a few of their own, adding that market men and women should not fight those that come to collect illegal taxes but rather report the act to the appropriate authorities.
