Nigeria is one of the country that I knew before that don't tax too much, but no more. We see a lot of things going on in our society today.

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For this last edition of week 160, we are looking at Tax is Taxing. How taxing is tax in my country? Well today I will be looking at my local government as a case study. Hmmmm! Friends, alot is happening today that is driving people crazy.

I am from Imo state in Nigeria, but married in Enugu state. Recently we started hearing about tax payment that is been introduced by the chairman of the local government. I have never seen or heard of such before. Though people kicked against it, they have complained and told him that they are not willing to pay any such tax, it seems as if everyone is just talking and no one is listening. Presently now there is a very big problem going on in Igbo North local government area of Enugu state.

Here is the new method of collecting tax that was introduced recently:

#500,000 to be paid for burial by any family of the deceased. This one is mind blowing. Lots of people have complained but it did not stop anything. They still go round to collect the money. What people started doing now is conducting a quiet burial, just invite a few people. No music and no much sounds or noise so that it will not attract people.
For me I love this side of taxing alot because our people have taken burial to be something else. If you don't have enough money, the dead person can be kept in mortuary for years. Until there is enough money to buy cows and food for people to come and eat and enjoy, there will be no burial. I know of some people that left a dead person in mortuary for years just because the family don't have money to build a new house before the burial. This is so bad.
So I think that this taxation will help reduce the way we spend during burial of our loved ones in Igbo land.

100000 to be paid by anyone who wants to dig a bore hole in the village. Be it for the community or for personal use. This is applicable to everyone as long as you want to dog a bore hole. You will also have to pay a specific amount every year after you have paid that first amount before starting the job. I believe that this particular one is very very bad. Some people just come home and decide to give the community water by digging bore hole for them. Are we expecting such person to pay that amount? He is not even digging the bore hole for himself, but for the community to have clean water. No one will pay while using the water. With this in place no one will ever think of doing anything good for the community any more.

#500,000 to be paid by anyone who wants to build his or her house. Hmmmm! I just asked myself if they government don't want any to build any more. How will the people cope with such taxation? Is too much and I think that something need to be done about it. But who will listen even as people are talking and complaining? No one. What they government decide is what will be done at the end of the day.

WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT DOING WITH ALL THE MONEY FROM TAX?
Someone said that if you ask me, who will I ask? No good road, no good hospitals, no good government schools, no electricity. So what should be done by the government? Apparently nothing good is coming out of it all. I believe that it is the reason why people don't want to agree with the government because the government don't use the money to develop their land.

HOW CAN THE GOVERNMENT USE TAX?
one of the things I think that the government should do to make people pay tax the more is use the money to develop the community where the tax is been paid. Build good schools and employ teachers. Give people good hospital and take care of the doctors and nurses very well. We also need good road to reduce the amount of accident that takes place every day on the road. Electricity should also be put in place. When all of these things are in order, people will not complain when paying taxes.