The Federal Government will soon harmonize taxes paid by jetty operators to address double taxation and promote Ease of Doing Business in the country.
The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Mu’azu Sambo, said this while meeting with the Technical Sub-Committee of the Presidential Standing Committee on Private Jetties (PSCPJ), led by its Chairman, Mr. Joseph Ororo in Abuja.
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).
The minister however appreciated the committee’s efforts towards licensing jetties and closure of illegal platforms and advised them not to restrict their inspections on timeliness alone.
He urged them to also include unscheduled visits to jetties to ensure compliance with exant laws and regulations.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, informed that the Committee was created in 2004, to checkmate security breaches, economic sabotage, gun-running, and other criminal activities which were traced to private jetties.
According to Ororo, the Technical Sub-Committee is the expert arm of the Presidential Standing Committee on Private Jetties (PSCPJ).
He said that 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.
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He listed the Committee’s terms of reference to include, ” Re-openining all jetties deemed vital to the economy of the country and examine all remaining closed jetties while recommending those to be retained and those to remain permanently closed”.
“The Standing Committee will meet from time to time to consider applications for operating licenses for jetties and recommend those to be issued new licenses by the Minister of Transportation.
”The minister of transportation to continue to issue licenses for the operation of jetties on the recommendation of the Standing Committee.
”The minister to prepare and present a note to 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”.
The chairman explained that the work of the sub-committee had contributed immensely to increased revenue generation for the various regulatory agencies and the Federal Government.
Ororo said the committee’s work had brought about a high level of safety at the respective private jetties adding that multi-national companies are no longer engaged in jetty facilities if such do not possess valid license duty.
”There is improved relationship between the companies and their host communities due to Cooperate Social Responsibility Projects and job creation made available to them and Nigerians by extension,” Ororo said.
