“DEVE" Collection Worrisome To Warri Business Community - WACCIMA
...Organises re-orientation programme for youths
By Elo Edremoda

In recent years, economic activities in Warri and environs, have continued to decline owing to the collection of "deve", reportedly interpreted as development levies imposed by communities on investors and developers.

In a bid to bring back the business booming days of the oil city, the Warri Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (WACCIMA), has flagged-off a 'Catch Them Young' programme comprising of debate, face-off and quiz sessions with the topic, 'Tax/Levy Collection by Government and Community Tax Forces and the Economy of Warri and Environs'.

DEVE boys

The three-day programme earmarked for secondary school students commenced on 11^th July 2017, at Delta Careers College, seeing three schools around Warri, Challenge International School, Enerhen; Holy Family School, Ugboroke and Kudos Model School, Udu; participate in a debate competition, where the first two mentioned schools emerged finalists with 65 and 59 points respectively and then, proceeded for a face-off centred on the same subject.

Chairman of WACCIMA, Chief Simon Asite, explained that the programme designed to run term after term, is to re-orientate youths for positive socio-economic values for the development of Warri and neighbouring towns.

"Deve is not good for trade and commerce. The business community of Warri is seriously worried about this problem in our society. We have made this problem known to the government several times but because of political interests, the problem is still lingering. The government of the day should give it final action. People are ready to pay tax. When levies are illegally collected, it becomes worrisome," Asite stressed.

Chairman of the occasion and managing director of S G Jones Nigeria Limited, Dr. Simon Umolo stated that communities are not mandated by any law to impose and collect taxes or levies, adding that it is a major challenge facing the private sector.

Umolo who was represented by his staff, Gabriel Ojo said, "The situation now is unlike the 80s and 90s when business activities of the city boomed. There is no law that empowers communities to collect levies from companies, but it is happening today. These youths never knew companies will move away. Go to Enerhen, most company buildings have been taken over as worship centres."

The best speaker of the debate, Eni Ose, from Challenge International School noted that such tax payment reduces unemployment, crime rates and poverty just as her seconder Cherish Egbuson added that taxes help government to take out expenditure and prevent 'dumping', a focus on foreign goods.

But speaking against the motion, Holy Family School's Esiete Justice pointed out that levies imposed by the communities are illegal. According to him and his co-speaker, Aruoture Juliet, these illegal taxes forced on private companies, shop owners and other establishments contributed to investors like Shell Petroleum Development Company, leaving the area. This they concluded has led to untold hardship, poor perception of the area to people in the outside world and investors lying about their profits to evade tax.

Present at the occasion were Mr. E. S. George, Barr. J. I. Nwume, Mr. Joachim Inuomor, Ufuoma Umolo, among others.