Determined to put an end to the incessant complaints by boat operators over double taxation, the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) has inaugurated a committee in collaboration with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to put an end to the challenges.
LASWA also said that they are yet to see a committee from NIWA adding that the two agencies had earlier agreed to set up a committee that will work together to harmonize the tariffs payable.
The Head of Corporate Communication of LASWA, Mrs. Nkechi Ajayi stated this in a chat with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos last week.
“We are going to form a committee from the Lagos state angle and from the NIWA angle which will come together and decide on the sharing formula and so many other things. The Lagos state government had already put out its own committee but we have not heard anything from them for a while now. So that is where we are as for the NIWA, LASWA issue”
Recall that in an event recently, the Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, Engineer Sarat Braimah explained that LASWA does not need to collect taxes from boat operators except NIWA.
She cleared that all monies collected from boat operators by NIWA is usually remitted to the federal government through the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
In her response, the LASWA spokesperson said the matter is still in court, adding that the Appeal Court had already given judgment to LASWA over her own internal waterways.
“The matter is still in court, we really don’t have a stand on that, we will let the court make the judgment as to who has right. The appeal court had already given Lagos State right over her own internal waterways and now the case is in Supreme Court”
“The state generates their own revenue, I don’t know if the state gets from the federal, but I know for sure that LASWA does not get anything from the federal government"
"Like I said, our stand is that the case is in court and we will let the court do their judgment on who has right over that. Already NIWA and LASWA had already come to an agreement, we are supposed to be working together so that there will be synergy between the both agencies so that there will be no double taxation” he concluded.
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