"Meriment Tax" in Lagos - Here we go again

A research by The Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budgeting, has justified the reason why local Governments in the state must demand that anyone organising events in the state must pay the Merriment Tax.”

The remark was made yesterday (16/5/2013) by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Ademorin Kuye, at the 2013 ministerial Press Briefing to commemorate the sixth year anniversary of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration, which held in Alausa, Ikeja.

Mr. Kuye said Economic Planning and Budgeting Ministry research showed that over N1 billion was spent monthly by residents on merriment and entertainment in the state. http://www.osundefender.org/?p=101173

Kuye said the statistics was a product of a recent research conducted by the State’s Ministry of Economic Planning and Budgeting, saying “this justified the reason why local Governments demand that anyone organising events in the state must pay the Merriment Tax.”

According to him, “There is merriment tax in that constitution, its part of the rate Local Governments can collect. We have not fully utilised the benefit of the entertainment industry in this state”.

“Over N1billion is spent monthly in Lagos state on entertainment and parties, we have the records to confirm this and this people, how many of them pay tax? The money goes into drinks, wine, food, aso-ebi and all of that and when they spend all of this money; they do not want to pay anything to the government”.

He lamented that the benefits of entertainment have not been fully tapped and utilised in the state and the country, stressing that taxes accruing to the government are spent on merriment