@damola 1,
it seems you are one of the bad eggs living in Lagos. From your words i can read that you dont appreciate good things even if you are given the whole of this world you wont appreciate and people like you are just basket mouth. You better go and collect N3000 for transportation and go back to your village Lets appreciate the little effort of Fashola he is trying and i know more good things are still on the way.
Eko o ni ba je, o baje ti,
Long live Fashola. Long live Nigeria.

Damola1

This government has been singing this tax song from inception. I do not know how you want them to recover this from this multimillionaire there at the computer village. The mistake we make is that we try to weigh people's mistakes more than their good deeds. If Fashola has tried in several areas and he fails in one, that does not give you who is not known as a scholar or a contributor of anything to Lagos to come and call a Governor that is poised to starting something good in Lagos an illiterate or all kinds of name. I'm a Lagosian and I never came up to support any of the past government because I never saw what they did and. Apologies to Jakande. But pls for the sake of we Lagosians who love our Governor mind the way you attack him on a public forum.

Computer village is a crazy place. The amount of transactions that go on in that place on a daily basis runs into tens of millions. I think some adviser got a hold of the figures and suggested it to Gov. Fash. But we really need to pencil down some issues.
1. Is Lagos state govt. talking about federal tax or personal income tax?
2. How do they monitor the number of actually registered ltd companies or at least business names?
3. There are too many hustlers in that area. Too many illegal businesses there.
Closing the place down is a start but i think it is too harsh a decision. What about the actually registered companies operating in there? The Gafunks, The Slots, The Trippleseas, The Banks, I am sure they pay their taxes and even VAT. The state govt should separate the chaff from the seed and know who to punish first.

@ Damola,

I hope the you have been adequately sensitized and also educated by the well-versed posts of fellow Nairalanders above.
Kindly change your perception.
Go in2 Alausa and you will see that civil servants are no more redundant as they used to be.
Adequate and relevant training are being given to staff to keep them on track to discharging their designated duties diligently.
A man worthy of commendation should please be commended.
BRFashola keep up the good work.

Whats all this.

If fashola takes that market seriously, the least he can do is employ young minds to go and educate them on what the entire tax system is.

I can't remember the last time I ever listened to radio, ages ago, and neither have I watched TV is a very long time.

I have asked a question earlier, and no one is yet to answer.

Shebi all of una dey hear jingle for radio

How does a trader calculate tax? How does an importer pay tax?

If computer village is that important as a means to generate revenue, let him strategically get the money not cripple it,

It's like Damola wants to prove to us all here that we don't know what we are saying and that we are just as blind as our Governor. But I need to ask him one question. Pls kindly point out any other governor that has performed better than this man.

Is like you are not listening to me.

Fashola is trying, no one can take that away, but is that the topic.

The topic is: "Entire computer village shut Down over tax"

Come on!!!. An entire market, haba!!!, lets tackle issues.

No one has said tax payment is wrong but there is a precise way to go about this.

I think damola should be given some credit for his mode of thinking something even some graduates cannot manage.
My question is what has happened to the taxes paid by Lagosians all these years?

Those saying that what the governor did is right, well, I can bet you don't live in Nigeria and blabbing about how things are done out there is just irrelevant to this issue. No single state in Nigeria (correct me if I'm wrong) as shown accountability, Lagosians also have a right to good life and if you say pay tax to enjoy good life, no yawa but we all know that after paying what happens, NOTHING!!!

No one can honestly say  (we can only assume) that ALL the shops/offices at the computer evade tax. Prosecuting individuals and shop owners would have been a better approach and NOT closing the place DOWN.

@Damola

I just got off the phone with one of the shop owners in computer village. He admitted they were notified. It has to do with enviromental and tax issues.

Besides, commonsense should tell you that the village cant be shut down forever. You'll be amazed how these traders will quickly pay up now to have their shops back. You may not agree to the approach but the end will definitely justify it.

@FBS

The unavailability of evidence of what govt does with tax does not justify tax evasion. If you want that clause in the tax law, then mobilise other people to sponsor an amendment bill.

The law says pay your tax!

fyneguy:

The unavailability of evidence of what govt does with tax does not justify tax evasion. If you want that clause in the tax law, then mobilise other people to sponsor an amendment bill.
The law says pay your tax!

Who said tax should not be paid? The issue is how he went about closing down the whole place.
you can't for certain tell me that none of the shop/offices at the computer village don't pay tax?

The law as you mentioned also has its responsibilities!

which of the shop owners?

Because common sense should tell you that, some of them paid, like those I met in person yesterday, why close down their stores?

Una dey duge issues, ikeja Local govt. has always collected levies, tout have always collected levies, how, u don pay, they lock up your store or simply carry your goods, why hin own different?.

U know this is the same stereotype we get when americans say all Nigerians are fraudsters, Generalising people and issues.

Exactly the same way Nigerians in support of this are taking it, how can the security people in your area close down all of your estate just because some houses choose not to pay security levies?

Do you understand what this discussion is about at all?

@Damola and FBS

You guys are ignoring the environmental aspect of the issues. They are being asked to clean up the place and desist from flouting environmental laws. I recall when Ijora market was served this same notice, they quickly adjusted to avert being shut down.

The traders should come together, and send a delegation to the government to tender their apology and show much remorse.

fyneguy:

@Damola and FBS

You guys are ignoring the environmental aspect of the issues. They are being asked to clean up the place and desist from flouting environmental laws. I recall when Ijora market was served this same notice, they quickly adjusted to avert being shut down.

Do you know this for a fact or you are just assuming?

Traders need education first. U don't just come and tell me for example that I have to pay for a particular thing without educating me why I need to pay for that particular stuff.

And also, Not all the traders in Computer village havn't paid then why will they shut down all the shops. To me it simply nonsense because it makes no sense.

Anyone here who claims not to have heard jingles on the radio and television about paying taxes for the past couple of years has to be a liar.
It's a crying shame that some people do not pay taxes. That in itself is a form of treason and usually tax offences are treated with extreme seriousness. How does the government get money if you do not pay taxes?

Computer Village has a leadership and a union. Closing the whole village is a strong means of drumming the tax issue into their heads.
It's a pity Nigerians are so greedy that they want amenities without doing their part. Pay your tax before you have a right to complain. Simple.

FBS

I now see that you truly don't live in Nigeria and if you do, definitely not in Lagos. Because if you do you will see what Fasola has done in Lagos. I can't start counting them. There is no one here in Lagos that would tell me he does not know about tax payment. If you tell me the penalty meted out to those people was too stiff like Damola pointed out it's ok. But we need to realise that here in Nigeria we try to evade all things. And why not give the governor some time before you start concluding he will do this or that with the money. After all we ve seen what he's done in some sectors.

I know more than one of the shop owners in computer village, and they all said  they were notified not only of the need to pay taxes amongst other things, but also the imminent action that the state government would take should the not comply.

In typical Naija fashion they did not heed the notices (as in more than one).

The government has now been good on it's word and implemented the sanctions as stipulated in the notices.

What is foul and unfair about that?

Anyone that is complaining that Lagosians should not pay taxes because the state does not provide infrastructure?  

WTH?? where should the money for the infrastructure come from if people do not heed laws, government notices or pay taxes?
Baba God go provide?
People are saying the govt needs to improve the trading conditions in the market before implementing tax laws?  HUH
Are u for real? Improve the infrastructure and trading conditions with what money if the traders themselves refuse to pay tax, refuse to register their businesses etc?

Common sense says if you want to set up a business in any place you should know the do's and don't's of doing that.

Do the businesses not have lease agreements with the owners of the village?
Are they not conversant with the conditions of trading there?
Do they not have bank accounts?
Are they not conversant with the conditions of operating in the banking environment?

So why do they now want to claim ignorance about the legal business framework in Lagos?

It is THEIR RESPONSIBILITY to find out what they need to do to be compliant with the laws of the state.

We all know that they know that the laws exist, much airtime etc has been used by the government informing them about the existence of the laws.

The law says pay your tax!!!

Why did they not bother to find out how these laws would affect them and their businesses? They are to blame for the situation they find themselves in now.

If Nigeria is to  improve from the sorry state she is in now, the rule of law needs to start being implemented Fashola and his govt are spot on as far as I am concerned.

Some time I can't help but to think of Fashola as someone who will just wake up every morning and feels inside himself that this is what I want without considerin how his feelin is going to affect others. I beg this man is a governor, If one has to be regarded as a good governor, He needs to put the interest of the people first and not his.

Welcome Texazzpette. I read your posts and I must say they are quite educative and informative. Holyyeye I hail o

farochron:

I now see that you truly don't live in Nigeria and if you do, definitely not in Lagos. Because if you do you will see what Fasola has done in Lagos. I can't start counting them. There is no one here in Lagos that would tell me he does not know about tax payment. If you tell me the penalty meted out to those people was too stiff like Damola pointed out it's ok. But we need to realise that here in Nigeria we try to evade all things. And why not give the governor some time before you start concluding he will do this or that with the money. After all we ve seen what he's done in some sectors.

farochron, will he be the first to collect taxes? are most employees not paying taxes by default? and please quote anywhere in my posts where I said tax should not be paid.
secondly, do you know for a fact that they were notified prior to closing down the village? Can you post a copy of it?
If you can't then stop telling me about how lagos is/was.
I know Lagos more than you can imagine.

Damola abi wetin you call yourself? Abeg go back to school and stop displaying your ignorance. As Kumbalo said in his post, The place was not only shut down for tax issues, it was also for environmental issues, this i am sure is so true cos u and I know how that place is. Even houses are locked cos of environmental issues now and for your information, they would have been duly notified and also given deadlines which they would have ignored.

Why would we all be stressing ourselves trying to convince you sef, u no dey pay tax(as u be student), u no dey watch tv or listen to radio, so what do u do? Just display your good use of English(not brains) on nairaland. I wonder what kind of leader you will grow to be.  Baba Adeboye spoke on tax, Oba Akiolu spoke on tax, even on radio sef enuf jingles, ki lo tun fe ki won se?

Those of us that pay our tax would keep supporting BRF cos we can see he is using our money well.

farochron:

Welcome Texazzpette. I read your posts and I must say they are quite educative and informative. Holyyeye I hail o

Educative and informative indeed. Trash, Birds of same feather.

Adexy001, If u no get TV, U no dey listen to radio? Who told you the place wasn't shut down because of tax? Abeg check the topic wellaly. Okay?

Entire Computer Village Shut Down Over Tax

Must one repeat the same thing over and over again to adults before it's absorbed.

Notification, cool. You deal with offenders.

Tell me. How did UBA, Zenith Bank,  Spring?

Did they evade tax too?,

Thanks, I no even know say I sabi english, cos na so so yoruba I dey yan every day!

If another issue popped up like environmental issue, which was not a part of the initial topic, then, una fit open mouth talk

You people don't understand the gravity of this style of leadership until it hits you yourself in the head.

Adexy001:

Damola abi wetin you call yourself? Abeg go back to school and stop displaying your ignorance. As Kumbalo said in his post, The place was not only shut down for tax issues, it was also for environmental issues, this i am sure is so true because u and I know how that place is. Even houses are locked because of environmental issues now and for your information, they would have been duly notified and also given deadlines which they would have ignored.

Why would we all be stressing ourselves trying to convince you sef, u no dey pay tax(as u be student), u no dey watch tv or listen to radio, so what do u do? Just display your good use of English(not brains) on nairaland. I wonder what kind of leader you will grow to be.  Baba Adeboye spoke on tax, Oba Akiolu spoke on tax, even on radio sef enough jingles, ki lo tun fe ki won se?

Those of us that pay our tax would keep supporting BRF because we can see he is using our money well.

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Adexy001, that is not the best way to correct someone IF he is wrong. No one knows it all.
Besides, no one has said for a fact if they were notified earlier. You and like every other person here in support are just assuming.
The environmental issue is not the topic or is it?

E wo! :-o ! Where will i buy 4th hand hard drive from now!!

Nigerians dont pay Tax jo, infact some people dont know that word

Texazz, you dey form intelligent, even monkii intelligent, i no blame you

well, i guess we need walk d rope right here. while i might nt agree totally wt damola's use of words, he makes some sense as well.
i'm nt against fashola's crusade on tax bt i need ask u all, what tax or levy in question warranted the closure of computer village?, PAYE, COMPANY TAX or ADVERT RATE or wat? there are companies there that remit company tax to FIRS and do deduct PAYE from their employees and remit as well.
my problem wt most govt officials is that they get carried away wt figures. i'm sure somebody must hv used a biro and say ''oh, of all the money exchanging hads in otigba, we can make 20% of it as tax'' like say na so e easy like yam.
1. otigba is a mkt wt some unregulated business tansactions. the mobile traders who sells phones and computer parts.
2. the shop owners and sole propietorships
3. the company and established ditributors
4. service centres like banks and the rest.

what i expect fashola to do as learned person and access to professionals is to first document the operators in the mkt and knw which category they fall, u can come up wt minimum tax for those mobile, small shop owners just as they are going to do for taxu drivers, mechanics and vulganisers that they should pay N2500 yearly as tax.
u dont just close a market, its individual tax evaders u deal with nt just generalise things, its sad o.
i admire fashola and his dreams for lagos but when wrong decisions to make right results are taken we should amply point it out. Computer village is not Mile 12 market that u can just close up and say dey dnt pay tax.
are u saying as a company registered under CAMA and wt 5 emplyees engaged in sales of computers i owe lagos stae govt anything other that PAYE and other state levies??, the tax on profit goes to federal govt and nw d mkt gets closed and i loose millions in business, wont i first start wt my staff by downsizing dem. so lets set d lines and nt get sentimental wt all issuesa nd look at the pertinent things at stake.
oga BRF, please lets do things right and legally (u'r a SAN), u dont burn a house to kill d mouse.

This is on believable at this point of time, our governor can give order to close up Computer Village because of they dont pay TAX,  Please fellow Nigerians do you think this is the right thing to do at this point of time?

I think if at all he will do that, he have to first enlighten them and make them know the reasons why they have 2 pay their TAXS, then if they don't comply He have the full right to shut them down without any problems.

very funny what some people post.

Pay tax before complaning.

Ok I, pay tax. Can I now complain?

Plus, you all think it's just about the traders.

The gravity of how many people it affected won't be known, and the revenue lost, which I strongly believe will run into over a Billion, in just the last 48hours, cannot really be ascertained.

You know if I want to tackle this issue further, I strongly believe Fashola is tout or never really went to school.

The process he should follow, if I were him is as follows:

1. Inform the Traders of the need to pay taxes, special information, not radio jingle, flyer, and one on one, at least all the bankers and microfinance bank go from one store to another with their marketers.

2. He should put in place an accountability system to checkmate how much is being made, and help separate profit from cost of production.

3. Advise on need to collect tax, and state how is calculated.

4. Then after which he'll inform them of the need to collect or they face the law.

Chikenaa!

damola1:


You people don't understand the gravity of this style of leadership until it hits you yourself in the head.

It will soon get to them.