The Anambra chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has decried the high rate of taxation and the proliferation of taxes by the state government against private hospital owners.
Addressing newsmen shortly after an emergency general meeting in Onitsha on Tuesday, the Chairman of the association, Prof. Jude Emejulu, said the harassment and intimidation of the members had become unbearable.
Emejulu expressed worries about the government’s inability to coordinate its agencies in spite of an earlier agreement between private hospital owners and the state government.
“We had a meeting with the government previously where we looked at about 15 taxes, some of which are duplicated.
“We sat down with the SSG to look for a way to harmonise some of these taxes and know what private hospital owners should pay, depending on their facilities.
“Some of the levies we agreed to pay were actually too high but we had to do it in the interest of peace.
“What is worrisome to us now is that some groups are asking for more taxes from our members after we had reached an agreement with the SSG (Secretary to the State Government) on behalf of the government,’’ he said.
The chairman wondered why the tax agents were collecting environmental impact assessment tax and beautification and ecology tax.
He said some members who had paid the tax agreed upon had been dragged to court by government agents for their refusal to pay the new taxes.
“Our members are being treated like touts and are being harassed by these agents and that must stop or we will be forced to take action,” Emejulu said.
He urged Gov. Willie Obiano to quickly wade into the matter and do the needful or the association might be forced to take action.
A member of the association told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on condition of anonymity that taxes placed on hospitals in the state ranged between N150,000 and N300,000.
The source said that four doctors had already been to court for their failure to pay the taxes. (NAN)