Stakeholders have continued to react to the introduction of compulsory education levy by Bayelsa State Government aimed at raising N100 million monthly.
The levy seeks to collect N500 to N100,000 depending on the grade level of the civil servant, staff of corporate bodies and taxable adults in the state.
The Patriotic Citizens of Nigeria (PACON), an NGO on Monday urged the state government to suspend the implementation of the policy.
Recall that Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund Law 2017 which the governor assented to March 29, 2017, seeks to compel civil servants and other stakeholders to pay education levy.
PACON in a statement signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Mr. Aluzu Ebikebuna and Mr. Debekeme Powedei, described the education tax law as enslaving and anti-people.
“It may interest the public to note that the Governor Seriake Dickson-led government of Bayelsa State, since 2012, has refused the statutory promotions of the vast majority of civil servants alongside the monetary benefits that accompany such promotions.
“We believe that the design of this law is against the people whose welfare government is supposed to be paramount,” the group said.
PACON condemned the state house of assembly for passing such sensitive bill without conducting public hearing to get the views of stakeholders.
The group also argued that government ought not to introduce policies that would further impoverish the workers who are owed salary arrears running into several months and trying to cope with multiple taxes.
It pointed out that before the education levy, the Dickson government had compelled civil servants to contribute to a health insurance policy after the government suspended 20 per cent tax waiver granted to the workers.
“Government is therefore advised that the 10 per cent of its internally generated revenue and politicians’ two per cent to be contributed will be enough, if properly managed, to service the fund without tasking civil servants,” PACON added.
The labour unions in Bayelsa, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have also opposed the education levy because civil servants are currently owed backlog of salary arrears.
The Bayelsa chapter NLC chairman, Mr John Ndiomu, said that the workers were in support of the education development of the state.
He, however, believed that the state government could afford to finance it without resorting to further taxation on its workforce.
Ndiomu urged the government to review the levy, as workers were grappling with how to survive the current recession.
Also, Bayelsa State chapter Chairman of TUC, Mr Tari Dounana, described the levy as “an anti-people’s policy’’ by the executive and the legislature, without any input from the stakeholders.
“It is unfortunate that such a law that requires civil servants to make contributions from their salaries was passed and assented to without a public hearing for the stakeholders to make their views known.
“We have already agreed to support the proposed Health Insurance Policy into which workers will also make contributions. This is one deduction too many.
“For the government to formulate the education development fund without inputs from the labour, leaves much to be desired. We are opposed to it,’’ Dounana said.
Mr Jonathan Obuebite, Bayelsa Commissioner for Information while reacting to claims by the labour leaders that the policy was foisted on the stakeholders without consultations, said that its intent was noble.
“Although the legislators did not conduct public hearings before passing the bill but as a former legislator, I know that it is not compulsory to conduct public hearing before a bill is passed.
“ There are other forms of getting input from their constituents by consultations.
“I am sure that it was done, as for labour, we engaged them and we didn’t agree so they cannot say there was no consultation.
“We shall continue to sensitise the people to buy into this idea to uplift education in Bayelsa, so that we can catch up and overtake our peers,” Obuebite said. (NAN)