The Lagos government and transportation stakeholders have introduced and signed a consolidated levy of N800 for commercial transporters in the state.

The N800 consolidated levy which will begin February 1, is aside from the dues paid to the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).

Speaking at the signing ceremony and ticket unveiling at Ikeja, the Commissioner for Finance, Rabiu Olowo, said that there was a need for the harmonised levy.

Mr Olowo said the harmonisation was necessary in order not to over-burden transporters with exorbitant levies.

He said that the state government carried out a survey six months ago, hence, realised that an average transporter paid N3,000 daily as levies.

According to him, most of the monies the transporters pay are lost to unknown agents, therefore, the need to regulate the levies and sanitise the informal transportation sector.

The commissioner said the phased approach was to ensure the transport sector reform which would help to get a comprehensive database of transporters for better planning.

According to him, the consolidated levy was an agreement by the state government, local government, bodies of the road transport union; NURTW, RTEAN, and other parties in the MDAs.

Mr Olowo said that the benefits of the consolidated levy included harmonised collection process by putting a structure in place, reducing multiple taxes, dues, and levies by all agents of state and local governments.

In his remarks, the chairman, NURTW, Musiliu Akinsanya, said that the union and RTEAN were in agreement with policies that would ensure the development of the state.

Mr Akinsanya, however, said that the N800 consolidated levy would not deprive the union of collecting its normal statutory levy.

(NAN)