Hawkers and low income businessmen at Abubakar Rimi market popularly known as Sabon Gari are crying out over how some officials are imposing tax on them illegitimately.
The hawkers are seeking the state governor’s intervention on the allegation as his recent order to stop tax collection on businesses below N30,000 is still being carried out.
Speaking, a groundnut seller, Amira Musa, who comes from Warkai Village of Warawa LGA said, “They come and asked us to give them money for receipts. We said we don’t have, we will not give. We told them the government has waved it all for us but every day we give except today that we refused. It’s N50 every day.”
Also Isyaku Muhammed, from Dausayi Village of Gezawa LGA, who sells nuts, said what he was selling is almost the same price as the tax money beside his daily transportation.
“My nuts are N20, N50 and every day I must pay for receipts at the rate of N50. We told them the governor had stopped it but they insisted we must pay.”
On his part, the Public Relations Officer, Coalition of Sabon Gari marketers, Saleh Ibrahim Darma, while acknowledged the complaints of the hawkers, also seeks the intervention of the government, as according to him, the market management is no longer giving listening ears on the matter.
“There are complaints from the majority of the business people in this market especially the hawkers. Most of them sell not more than N20,000 a month and honestly, they are being disturbed by the daily tax they used to pay. It’s normally N100 and N50.
“When the complaints were too much, we went and see things for ourselves and discovered they were given a receipt that contains the name of Abubakar Rimi market but it’s for parking spaces they are using to extort hawkers in the market. We knew that the governor has stopped that on less privileged businesses earning below N30,000 but the management of the market is still doing that. The receipt is not for revenue but for parking spaces.
“When we contacted them, they said they were doing their work and the governor did not forward to them in writing so they will not stop. So, we are calling for quick action against them because they are crippling businesses.”
Tijjani Ladan is the chairman, Elders’ forum, Sabon Gari market, who also made a similar call, said, “Every day. I come into the market they will complain that that tax is still being collected. I asked them to prove it and they presented all their receipts which is that of parking spaces.
“We later met with them at the market management office, we spoke to them and they said the governor’s instructions did not include the Sabon Gari market. The receipt reads parking space at N100 while they are collecting N50.
“We are calling on the governor to look into Sabon Gari, they are cheating people honestly.”
None of the tax officers was willing to speak on the allegation.
