Tax: FG to reopen private jetties to increase revenue generation

The federal government says it will reopen jetties and harmonise taxes paid by operators to increase revenue generated in the country.

Mu’azu Sambo, minister of transportation, said this on Wednesday while meeting with the technical sub-committee of the presidential standing committee on private jetties (PSCPJ), led by Joseph Ororo, chairman, in Abuja.

Jetties protect the shoreline of a body of water by acting as a barrier against erosion from currents, tides, and waves.

The facilities can also be used to connect the land with deep water farther away from shore for the purposes of docking ships and unloading cargo.

The Nigerian government has been making efforts to improve revenue generation to strengthen its economy.

President Muhammadu Buhari had, in September, inaugurated a presidential committee on the national economy, to provide solutions to the country’s economic troubles, especially in the area of generating revenue.

Buhari had said the country’s poor performance in resource mobilisation was a source of concern, as “tax revenues are approximately 8 percent of our output”.

Speaking at the meeting with PSCPJ, Sambo said operators are often made to pay multiple registration fees by different regulatory agencies such as the National Inland Waterways (NIWA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

He, however, appreciated the committee’s efforts towards licensing jetties and closure of illegal platforms, and also advised them not to restrict their inspections on timeliness alone.

Sambo urged them to also include unscheduled visits to jetties to ensure compliance with extant laws and regulations.

On his part, Ororo said the committee was created in 2004, to checkmate security breaches, economic sabotage, gun-running and other criminal activities which were traced to private jetties.

He said the technical sub-committee is the expert arm of the PSCPJ.

Ororo, also said prior to the constitution of the standing committee, there was a directive shutting down all private jetties across the country due to the intractable illegalities associated with them.

“Reopening all jetties deemed vital to the economy of the country and examining all remaining closed jetties while recommending those to be retained and those to remain permanently closed,” he said.

“The standing committee will meet from time to time to consider applications for operating licences for jetties and recommend those to be issued new licences by the minister of transportation.

“The minister of transportation continues to issue licenses for the operation of jetties on the recommendation of the standing committee.

“The minister will prepare and present a note to the federal executive council (FEC) on the activities of the standing committee for its information and also keep the president fully informed on the work of the standing committee.”

Ororo further said the work of the sub-committee had contributed immensely to increased revenue generation for the various regulatory agencies and the federal government.

He added that the committee’s work had brought about a high level of safety at the respective private jetties, adding that multinational companies no longer engaged jetty facilities if such do not possess valid license duty.

“There is an improved relationship between the companies and their host communities due to corporate social responsibility projects and job creation made available to them and Nigerians by extension,” he added.