By Damilare Adeleye
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has suspended all forms of market levies in the state indefinitely.
The governor noted that only development and environmental levies will be allowed, as they are meant for the development of markets.
Abiodun also hinted that plans are underway by his administration to introduce a price control mechanism in the state.
The governor disclosed these during a meeting with market leaders led by the Iyaloja General, Mrs Yemisi Abass, at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan in Abeokuta.
He said as part of measures to control the uptick in the prices of food items, the state government will soon commence the operation of its Bulk Purchasing Company, which has now been rebranded as Gateway Trading Company, to ensure that the cost of food items is much more affordable for the people.
His words: “We’ve also resolved that we will begin the implementation of Bulk Purchase and Selling in the state. To that extent, the state government has rebranded our Bulk Purchase Company. It is now called Gateway Trading Board.
“Gateway Trading will now assist in bringing food items to our teeming public at prices that will be significantly below what they can obtain when they go to the market themselves.
“So, we are going to aggressively implement our Gateway Trading objectives. They will first start in the four zones; they will buy in bulk and resell at prices that will be more affordable to our people.”
Governor Abiodun also announced the ban on all forms of levies in the markets in the state.
He said: “A few things have been identified by way of illegal taxes that are being imposed right there in the market; loading taxes, discharge taxes, offloading taxes, and illegal levies in the name of different people. From now on, we are banning such illegal levies in any market in Ogun State.
“The only levies that will be allowed are what they call the Development Levy and the Environmental Levy. Those are levies that are associated with the upkeep of the market, and even those will have to be agreed upon and made public.”
“We also identified that there are people who add no value to food items coming from the farm to markets. They either, by coercion or intimidation, accost farmers and force them to sell at inflated prices.”