Traders are gnashing their teeth as the Enugu government begins the enforcement of the collection of N200 daily tax.

On Thursday, tax collectors went around markets in the capital city and sealed defaulters’ shops.

In 2023, the Enugu government imposed a N200 daily tax on traders and hawkers and gave an option for annual, monthly or quarterly payment.

A trader at Mbanugo Motor Parts Market, Ifedi Okafor, whose shop was sealed for non-compliance, told NAN that the N200 tax rate was too high.

“Everybody knows that things are hard now. They are asking us to pay N5,500 monthly; it is not something that we cannot pay, but the economic situation of the country today is affecting everybody,’’ Mr Ifedi said.

Another motor parts dealer, Chikezie Onuorah, said it was wrong of the government to seal the shops of defaulters because of the current economic hardship in the country.

“We are paying only because nobody wants his shop or the entire market to be sealed,’’ he said.

A market management official in another part of Enugu told NAN that the market was unsealed on Wednesday after negotiations with the government.

“We settled with the government amicably; some traders have been complying by going to pay the N5,500 monthly tax. The money paid is for October to December 2023; the charge for 2024 has not started,’’ he said. 

(NAN)