Labour oppose plan to stop NIPOST collecting stamp duties

The Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies has kicked against plans to stop the Nigerian Postal Service from collecting N50 electronic stamp duty for denotation of receipts, documents and other instruments.

In a letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, the union alleged that the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, and the Federal Inland Revenue Service, who were said to be behind the plan, were plotting to ‘kill’ NIPOST.

In the letter signed by Mohammed Yunusa and Ayo Olorunfemi, President General and General Secretary of the union, respectively, the workers noted that the issuance of postage stamps was one of NIPOST’s core functions/mandates.

“We have decided to alert you to the impending attempt by the Minister of Finance in collaboration with the FIRS to kill and bury NIPOST,” the letter, which was made available to journalists on Thursday, said.

Noting that NIPOST had been a major hub for commercial activities for most towns and villages over the years, the union observed that stopping the agency from collecting stamp duties would undermine plans to revive the organisation.

The letter added, “Currently, NIPOST is positioned to cause massive grass roots development through rural financial inclusion.

“It is also currently involved in the payment of conditional cash transfer to the underprivileged in Kebbi, Edo, Ondo and Enugu states.

“These cannot work effectively if the attempt by the Minister of Finance to take away the collection of the N50.00 electronic stamp duty is not checked.”

The workers explained that at a meeting between the managements of NIPOST and the FIRS in 2013 over the full implementation of the Stamp Duty Act, it was agreed that both agencies should work together to ensure that the Federal Government did not lose revenue.