From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Traders have shut the Henshaw Town Beach Market in Calabar, Cross River over alleged illegal levies and rates imposed on them by government and its agents.
The group, under the aegis of Henshaw Town Beach Market Traders’ Union, (HTOBMATU), is protesting the introduction of waterfront regulatory economic levy between N200 and N15,000, and vowed not to open the market until government reversed the new charges and levies.
The state Internal Revenue Services Ltd. through its agents, Dapro Global Services, in a letter served the association and signed by the Company Secretary, Paul Eko, categorised the levies to be paid into waterfront land allocation, as boat registration, foreign and local landing permits, goods and products.
The over 50-year-old market, known in local parlance as Urua Esuk Nsidung, is where large quantity of assorted fishes and bags of crayfish are sold in wholesale to retailers. These goods are brought from the Bakassi peninsular and other fishing settlements along the shores of Atlantic Ocean. Buyers from across the country patronise the market on Mondays and Fridays.
HTOBMATU said the levies were too many, saying they had been paying haulage fee and other levies of between N50 and N500 daily to Calabar South Local Government Area for over 50 years.
Speaking to Daily Sun shortly after closing down the market at the weekend, the union Chairman, Mr. Nkereuwem Bassey, said despite the fact that they are already paying huge amount to government with different sub-heads; another letter was sent from the Internal Revenue Service demanding outrageous amount as economic development levy.
