Moro traders lament neglect despite huge IGR payment
By Mike Adeyemi
Traders at Ogunedun market in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State has berated the council over alleged neglect despite fulfilling their tax obligations.
Speaking to National Pilot at the weekend, the Iyaloja of Moro Local Government, Zainab Mogaji decried the non presence of government in the market.
According to her, “the level of development in the market does not commensurate with the huge Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), accruing to the local government through traders in the market.’
“Traders at this market are over ten thousand in number and we pay N50 each on every market day in the form of revenue to Moro Local Government.
“Imagine, multiply that amount by 10,000 traders in the market. Despite this, the local government hasn’t deem it fit to replicate this huge IGR to facelift the market in any form,” she said.
Continuing, “our challenges at this market are enormous. We do not have accessible road networks, no good shops, no gates despite that Moro Local government revenue officials subjects us to payment of taxes on every market day, and we contribute immensely to the Kwara economy.
“We want the Kwara State Government to assist traders in this market with soft loan to boost our business and make tractors available to our farmers,” the market leader appealed.
On his part, the Chairman of yam sellers at the market, Tunde Atanda said traders at the market have concluded plans to stop paying revenue to the local government authority.
“We have asked the local government revenue collectors to stop coming to the market. We have not felt the impact of the taxes we are paying been plough back to the market.”
Meanwhile, the head of Moro Local Government revenue collectors, Adeyemi Lawal said he had tabled the plight and complaints of traders at the market to the Director of Personnel Management (DPM), of the local government who promised to ensure development of the market.
“Our duty here is to collect revenue to the local government. The market community had complained about getting returns for their prompt payment of levies, but it hasn’t see the light of the day.
“I had laid their grievances before the DPM”.
