By  Maduka Nweke with agency report

The slogan often credited to Lagos State that land is its own oil may have to change now that oil has been discovered in commercial quantity. Land has become much more in demand now than before, thanks to innovations in the environment. This is why land management on the side of government has become more topical now that a lot of developers and companies are looking for space to occupy. It will also help to check the excesses of the notorious land speculators, the Omoniles.
The Lagos State Land Use Charge (LUC) has become a consolidation of all property and land-based rates and charges payable under Lands Rates, Neighbourhood Improvement Charge and Tenement Rates Laws of Lagos State. The LUC derives its legitimacy from the Land Use Charge Law No. 11 of 2001. It was designed to help the government generate additional revenue needed to develop the state in the light of increasing demand for provision of urban and rural infrastructure, and other expenditure.
However, the implementation and enforcement of the LUC have continued to raise dust. The modus operandi of the law has generated controversies over the years and some residents of Lagos are still confused as to what the LUC is all about as it does not apply to all properties in the state.
Properties that are exempted from the operation of the law are government-owned properties and those used for public, religious and charitable activities. However, this exemption will only be granted where an application for exemption is made to the state Commissioner for Finance.

Apportioning liability
The charge is imposed on the owner of a property. However, where the owner is not in possession of the property, the LUC authorises the collecting authority to appoint the occupier, who is usually the tenant, to be assessed with and pay for the tax; the tenant is in turn authorised by the law to offset such a payment from monies that may be due from the tenant to the owner of the property.
There is thus an indemnity in favour of the tenant/occupier against the owner. Where a property owner did not receive the First Demand Notice, the Lagos State government advises that complaints be registered through any of their customer service channels. You can visit www.landusecharge.com for clarification or go to their office at Ministry of Finance at Alausa.
However, note that all claims of non-receipt of First Demand Notice will be checked against their proof of delivery of all bills. The cost of assessment is free to property owners; they are not expected to pay for assessment of property. The amount charged is not negotiable. However, if payment is made within 15 days of the delivery of the demand notice, a discount of 15 per cent is applicable.
In cases where property owners receive LUC bill for the first time and are yet asked to pay arrears, demand notices issued with arrears are reviewed against proof of delivery of the LUC demand notices on such properties for the previous year(s) for necessary correction. Such cases should be registered through the complaints interface of the website – www.landusecharge.com or through its help lines or e-mail, all available on its website.
In a situation where the property owner received the tenement rate demand notice and has made payment before receiving the LUC demand notice for the first time, the amount paid should be deducted from the LUC (if it is higher than the tenement rate), then pay the outstanding balance. All evidence of payment including payment of tenement rate should be forwarded to its office.
However, where LUC demand notice is received before any of the consolidated charges i.e. tenement rate, ground rent and neighbourhood improvement charges, LUC should be paid as it covers all these rates and charges.

Assessment of properties
It is possible for same type of properties in the same area and occupying the same size of land to be charged different rates. For the purpose of LUC, properties are assessed individually. For any two similar properties, the physical appearance, aesthetic features and age will determine the property class rate (i.e. high, medium and low) to be adopted in the valuation of the property.
Another reason for charging different rates on any similar properties is the usage and status of occupation. It is noteworthy that property assessment is classified under three broad categories – commercial, industrial and residential usages. Commercial properties generally attract a rate of 0.394 per cent of the assessed value. Industrial properties are assessed at a rate of 0.132 per cent of the assessed value; however, this will only be applicable where the property owner is the occupier of the property.
Assessments of residential properties are categorised under three scenarios, which attract different rates. A property solely occupied by the owner for residential purpose will be charged at a rate of 0.0394 per cent, while a similar property occupied by the property owner and tenant(s) or third parties will be charged at a rate of 0.132 per cent. The third category is an investment property fully occupied by tenants or third party/parties for revenue generation, charged at a rate of 0.394 per cent. The LUC does not provide for instalment payments particularly since 15 per cent discount is granted for early payment. However, any amounts left unpaid are carried over to the next year with its full interest compliment.


T-Mart shopping mall berths in Lagos

Shoppers and store owners in Lagos are in for exciting times as T-Mart Wholesale Store, a renowned membership-based wholesale shopping mall, opens in the Lekki area of Lagos.
According to the promoters, this is the first of its kind in Lagos and will be followed by many more outlets across the major  cities in Nigeria over the next few years.
Mr. Berthran Ugeh, T-Mart’s Managing Director, explained that the company is the first ever membership-based wholesale shopping mall in Nigeria, adding that the store will offer value in the form of best prices and quality that can be trusted since it gets its supplies directly from FMCG manufacturers all over the world.
Ugeh stated that shoppers now have the option of avoiding trolling shops in the open market on terrible weather days as they can now shop in a controlled environment or have their items delivered to them.
According to him, the opening is supported by Fidelity Bank and the store offers a one-stop shop by providing all household items from packaged foods, beauty and personal care products, beverages and snacks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, hygiene and home care products in one place.
T-Mart is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tendy Nigeria Limited, a premier distribution company for the FMCG and agribusiness sector, founded over 30 years ago.
T-Mart’s increasing and sustainable success, aligned with the anticipation of a market shift, will become the face of the wholesale sector in Nigeria.


Federal-Government-of-Nigeria

Related News

FG urges contractors to speed up work on highways

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has urged contractors handling the ongoing dualisation of the Oyo-Ogbomosho Road and the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to speed up work on the roads.
The Minister, who was returning from Ilorin where he attended the 5th National Council on Land, Housing and Urban Development, took time off to inspect work acceleration on the roads, saying the gesture was necessary in order to guarantee smooth journey for travellers across the country during the coming Moslem festival.
Fashola said although the contractors were faced with some constraints such as unpredictable weather and the fact that they have to work while also managing traffic, they must plan their work in such a way to ensure a more tolerable driving experience during the festivities and general safety on the roads.
“You must plan your work in such a way that you are able to accommodate traffic and also help to make the journey time of commuters better during that period. They will be travelling home and coming back, and I also will like you to improve the safety signs on this highway,” Fashola told the contractors.
Stating that the Moslem festival, Eid-el-Kabir was around the corner and that the end of the year festivities including Christmas and the New Year were fast approaching, the Minister urged the contractors handling the reconstruction, rehabilitation and expansion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to consciously plan to accommodate the expected huge volume of traffic from the events.
He said, “start calibrating your activities to take in traffic that will come but the big one will come I think some time in the end of the year when everybody is moving back from home. The target is to make that experience better than last year’s.
“I need to see more safety signs. If you have to put reflective stickers especially for night time and lighting, please do so. We just want to reduce first, the number of casualties and accidents on the road, especially at night and during the day as well, and we want to see how this can translate to better motoring experience during the eid festival, which is around September 12 plus or minus.
“We will set guidelines for state controllers to take ownership of the federal roads in their states and to work with the stake governments and their commissioners for work so that we can build this partnership and have motorable roads,” he said, adding that, “this country is such a beautiful country from the much I have seen and Nigerians don’t seem to know that because they can’t travel,” he said.
Fashola, who described his stopover inspection as a whistle-stop inspection that had entailed driving and inspecting all the way from Ilorin, said some progress was obvious on the road, adding, however, that he would not be satisfied until the work on the roads were finished and Nigerians feel more comfortable. “So there is a lot of work to do. There is a lot of work that has been left undone for many years so we are going to claw at them one after the other in a methodical way.
“We came from Ilorin so I thought I could stop by here and manage time, road work, office work, so I thought I should drive by here from Ilorin through Ogbomosho to see the progress of work going on and also move through the Lagos- Ibadan Expressway and from there drive to Lagos and fly back to Abuja,”he said.


Cement

Cement price rises by 47%

…Now N2,200

By Adewale Sanyaolu

Cement price yesterday hit all time high of N2,200 from the initial price of N1,500 across major retail outlets in Lagos and Ogun states. The N700 hike represents a 47 per cent increase from the former price.
Some marketers who spoke to Daily Sun on telephone from Ijako and Itele in Ogun State said loading at the Dangote Cement factory in Ibeshe, Ogun State, had been suspended since last Wednesday, while marketers at the popular Amu Market in Mushin and some others at Mazamaza said the increase was from the manufacturers.
The marketers expressed their frustrations at the two biggest cement manufacturers, Dangote and Lafarge, saying they were not given advance notice before the price hike was introduced.
Though it was discovered that most of the marketers selling at the new price of N2,200 had old stock, which they bought at N1,500, as they refused to sell at the old price, thus using the opportunity to make outrageous profit.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the spokespersons of Dangote Group and Lafarge Africa Plc, Messers Tony Chiejina and Mr. Demola Ojolowo, proved abortive. Ojolowo had promised to confirm if there was a price increase or not and revert but he never did as at the time of going to press. Repeated calls to him afterwards were unanswered while a text message to his telephone line was not responded to.
The hike has equally affected the price of a six-inch block, which now sells for between N130 and N140, while a nine-inch block, which is preferred by most builders, sells for N170.