Transportation Minister, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, has disclosed the readiness of the Federal Government to eliminate double taxation and harmonise taxes paid by jetty operators in furtherance of the Ease-of-Doing-Business policy in the country.
He said this during a meeting with the Technical Sub-Committee of the Presidential Standing Committee on Private Jetties (PSCPJ), led by its Chairman, Engr. Joseph Ororo, noting that operators are often made to pay multiple registration fees by different regulatory agencies such as the National Inland Waterways and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.
On the Committee’s mandate of licensing jetties and closure of illegal platforms, Sambo directed them to make inspections and unscheduled visits unscheduled visits to jetties to observe their compliance with extant laws and regulations.
The Technical Sub-Committee Chairman, Engr Ororo disclosed that the Committee was created in 2004 to checkmate security breaches, economic sabotage, gun-running and other criminal activities traceable to private jetties.
Ororo said the Committee’s terms of reference include, “to re-open all jetties deemed vital to the economy of the country as well as to examine all the remaining closed jetties and recommend those to be retained and those to remain permanently closed; to meet from time to time to consider applications for operating licence for jetties and recommend those to be issued new licences by the Honourable Minister of Transportation; the Honourable Minister of Transportation to continue to issue licenses for the operation of jetties on the recommendation of the Standing Committee; and, the Minister to prepare and present a note to Federal Executive Council (FEC) on the activities of the Standing Committee for its information.”