The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Delta State Wing, under the leadership of Deacon Monday Ifoghere, has sued the Delta State Government before the High Court of Justice, Otor-Udu, over issues of multiple taxation and illegal monies demanded by different Government Agencies which they said has brought about severe hardship to private school owners.
Defendants in the Suit No: OUCH/114/2021 are; The Governor of Delta State, Hon. Commissioner of Finance, Delta State, Hon. Commissioner for Secondary Education, Delta State,
Hon. Commissioner for Basic Education, Delta State,
Delta State Board of Internal Revenue,
Delta State Signage Advertisement Agency and The Attorney General of Delta State.
Questions to be considered is if the Delta State Government’s consolidated revenue demands which include “levies for boreholes”, “private institution application and registration fees”, “operational levies”, “renewal of license levies”, and “physical and infrastructural development levies” are in line with the tax and levies approved for collection by the state government under Part 11 of the Schedule to the Taxes of Levies (Approve list for collection ) Act, 2004 and Part 11 of the Second Schedule to the 1999 constitution (as amended).
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The school owners also are not pleased with the demand that they pay for waste disposal levy, signage fees and/or bill board levies.
According to NAPPS, private schools are solely for educational activities and should not be seen as business outfits for serious revenue generation by the Okowa administration, adding that many of the levies are unnecessary and some of the levies newly introduced look like double taxation.
They also want the courts to declare that private school owners should not have any dealings with the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue or its agents.
The Delta State Government recently introduced a new regime of taxes and levies for registered private schools in the state which NAPPS has stated that they are not in line with existing statues.
Thus the association “NAPPS” demands that the courts restrict the government from collecting levies for boreholes, private institution, application and registration fees, operational levies, renewal of license levies and physical and infrastructural development levies among others
According to Oasis Magazine, Deacon Ifoghere said the government is overtaxing them with its agencies.
“They should not see us as business outfits. We ought to be given subvention by the state government and not what they are trying to do now. He said
“How can school owners pay for borehole that we sunk ourselves and many of these monies they are demanding are very exorbitant. They want us to pay for infrastructural development as high as N350, 000. Tenement rate and waste management are other of their demands. Schools are vulnerable in Delta.
“We want the court to interpret which one we should pay. We have complained to the commissioner and they promised to speak to these agencies but the more we complain, they increase the levies.”
“Maybe they want to kill private education. Imagine in this season when we are trying to reduce out-of-school children, they want to force us out of business.
They have started hitting some local government areas already like Oshimilli and Warri. So, the earlier we seek redress in court the better for us.
“If you look at the money they are now demanding, it is about one million naira.
They want us to pay N110,000 for renewal, N150,000 for infrastructure. Some are even asked to pay in arrears. Registration of business premises was put at N50, 000; operational levy at N150, 000; fire service at N50, 0000. The sad part is that such money does not even go into government coffers.”
The case was supposed to be heard today at the court, but a new date will be announced because of the ongoing NBA conference.
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