Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Obafemi Hamzat, has outlined plans to streamline tax collection across the state and eliminate multiple taxation.
Speaking at a town hall meeting organised by BusinessDay on Friday, Hamzat said he intends to introduce a single payment system and ensure taxpayers’ complaints are addressed within 48 hours.He explained that the state would work with local governments to create a unified tax schedule. This would prevent residents and businesses from facing repeated demands after settling their dues. The approach would also respect the constitutional independence of local governments and the Supreme Court’s recognition of them as a distinct tier of government.
Hamzat noted that the Federal Government had already reduced the number of taxes from 63 to nine through recent reforms. Lagos, he said, is aligning its system with this new national framework by harmonising collections around those nine taxes.He recalled a conversation with a woman who simply wanted a clear list of what she owed so she could pay once and be left alone. “I think that’s a fair request and I intend to honour it,” he said.
Hamzat promised a publicly available unified tax schedule, stating that anything not on the approved list would not be payable. He also pledged to set up a dedicated complaints platform where residents could report cases of multiple taxation or misconduct by tax officials, with responses guaranteed within 48 hours as part of his manifesto commitments.
The deputy governor further highlighted challenges faced by food traders bringing goods into Lagos, noting that the state produces only about five per cent of the food it consumes. While Lagos cannot control levies imposed outside its borders, the proposed harmonisation would ensure that once the required payments are made within the state, relevant authorities, including local governments, can verify them and avoid further demands.
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