Labour oppose plan to stop NIPOST collecting stamp duties – TheNigerialawyer

The Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and
Government Owned Companies has kicked against plans to stop the
Nigerian Postal Service from collecting N50 electronic stamp duty
for denotation of receipts, documents and other instruments.

In a letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, the union
alleged that the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, and the Federal
Inland Revenue Service, who were said to be behind the plan, were
plotting to ‘kill’ NIPOST.

In the letter signed by Mohammed Yunusa and Ayo Olorunfemi,
President General and General Secretary of the union, respectively,
the workers noted that the issuance of postage stamps was one of
NIPOST’s core functions/mandates.

“We have decided to alert you to the impending attempt by the
Minister of Finance in collaboration with the FIRS to kill and bury
NIPOST,” the letter, which was made available to journalists on
Thursday, said.

Noting that NIPOST had been a major hub for commercial
activities for most towns and villages over the years, the union
observed that stopping the agency from collecting stamp duties
would undermine plans to revive the organisation.

The letter added, “Currently, NIPOST is positioned to cause
massive grass roots development through rural financial
inclusion.

“It is also currently involved in the payment of conditional
cash transfer to the underprivileged in Kebbi, Edo, Ondo and Enugu
states.

“These cannot work effectively if the attempt by the Minister of
Finance to take away the collection of the N50.00 electronic stamp
duty is not checked.”

The workers explained that at a meeting between the managements
of NIPOST and the FIRS in 2013 over the full implementation of the
Stamp Duty Act, it was agreed that both agencies should work
together to ensure that the Federal Government did not lose
revenue.