The Secretary to the Adamawa State Government, Bashir Ahmad has disclosed plans by the State Government to to stop sale and/or haulage of cattle by middlemen to some states, including Lagos.
The Secretary to the State Government made the disclosure while speaking on the government’s new policy to newsmen in Yola, the state capital.
According to Ahmad, the decision was aimed at stopping revenue leakages and boost Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) from livestock business where the state has comparative advantage.
He cited the case of Lagos, which collects about N35,000 levy on each cattle, as well as other states with similar taxes.
He noted that the state government’s decision to disallow the sale and transportation of livestock out of the state to other parts of the country, including Lagos, was aimed at blocking revenue leakages and improving its internally generated revenue.
He said: “What we collect as revenue per head of cattle is far lower than what’s been collected along the road to the point of sale.
“People take cattle from Mubi market here, move it to Lagos, along the road, they pay nothing less than N5,000 per head in like, five revenue collection points.
“By the time they get to Lagos and sell it, another N10,000 per head is paid just for the cow to be slaughtered, while in Adamawa where the cow originated we’re left with about N300 to N500 revenue per head.”
Ahmad, therefore, while regretting the effect any such government policy will have on the affected states, stated that the state will equally have to protect its economic interests.
He added that the policy will be implemented unless other states adjust their immediate government policies.