By Godspower Eguasa
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Wednesday, opened a dialogue session with relevant stakeholders including traditional rulers, local government heads, and civil society organizations, amongst others, to drive effective implementation of the Land Use Charge (LUC) for property owners in the state, in a bid to sustain ongoing developmental reforms in the state.
Speaking during the stakeholders’ workshop on the LUC which had as its theme, ‘Joint Implementation of LUC by State and Local Governments’, held on August 16th 2023, at the Edo State Government House, in Benin City, Obaseki noted that the Land Use Charge is only for property owners, and it is intended to drive and sustain development in the state.
According to Obaseki, “The land use charge is simply property tax. It is a tax that property owners should pay. If you have no property, you have no business with this tax. All of you will agree that since we came in 2016, the rate of development in Edo State has increased; up to this building you are in, it was not here in 2016 when we came.
“As a government, we have continued to work and we will continue. But where would we get the money from? Is it not from tax? If you have a property and there is no road to the place, will you get tenants? Can you even get to the house?
“That is why it is important to encourage the government to continue to build infrastructures, and as a state, we said we would not fold our arms and make excuses and not be able to do something for our people. We must”.
Obaseki who harped on the essentials of property tax in driving development to the doorsteps of every Edo resident, urged residents to build trust in his administration, assuring property owners of effective utilization of funds and open accountability and transparency throughout the process.
Obaseki said: “All those people who work for the government, who work for companies, they pay tax. You cannot pay tax if you have not earned something. It is the contribution to government from what you have earned or what you own. That is why tax is necessary. Without tax, there can be no government, there can be no development.
“This property tax is to avoid a lot of trouble. If you have property, you pay only one tax. It is one tax you pay for your property; the state government and local government now know how to share it between themselves”.
The Governor also stated that no cash transaction is permitted in tax payment as all such payments must be made directly into the state government account, and the state government too will remain accountable to the people.
In her presentation, the Managing Director, Edo Geographical Information Services (EdoGIS), Mrs. Osaro Aihie, commended the developmental strides of Governor Godwin Obaseki in transforming the state into a modern city, noting that, with collaborative efforts, the LUC will be of great benefit to Edo citizens and residents, noting that it will help to build more on what the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration has started.
Aihie said: “I want to commend His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki for his developmental strides in transforming the state into a modern city with laudable infrastructures.
“The Land Use Charge is one of the new sources of indirect tax to help broaden the internally generated revenue of the state and local governments. It aims to cushion the dwindling prices of crude oil relied heavily upon by the federal government.”
“The introduction of Land Use Charge in the state has given the government the opportunity to manage her land assets more efficiently, thereby optimizing the value of land assets. Its payment will stimulate more economic growth and the provision of more infrastructures in the state”, Aihie added.
