The Lagos State Government has begun its sensitisation and awareness campaign on Land Use Charge matters for property owners in Lagos Island, Lagos Island East, Eti-Osa, Ikoyi Obalende, Iru Victoria Island and Eti-Osa East Local Government/Local Council Development Areas in the state.
A statement on Wednesday said this is part of efforts to inform and educate key stakeholders on the importance of the payment of Land Use Charges as well as to seek valuable feedback from residents.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Mr Temitope Hundogan said the objective of the programme was to encourage property owners to pay their land use charge bill for the development of the state.
Hundogan said there was an urgent need to improve the internally generated revenue of the government to meet the huge infrastructural projects across the State.
He said: “The Land Use Charge taxes are an integral source of internally generated revenue for the state government which is used for the provision of socio-economic infrastructure and amenities”.
Citing the recent Blue Line rail transport system which has now begun commercial operations, Temitope stressed that the development of any society is anchored on the adherence of its residents to the payment of their taxes.
He, however, frowned on the “untoward behaviour of some property owners who deny officials access to their properties” and appealed to them to “kindly cooperate with the state government by allowing officials designated to distribute bills to do their jobs without any attack”.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Mrs. Kikelomo Bolarinwa noted that the sensitisation is to enable the government to ensure compliance on the payment of Land Use Charge bills, adding that the payment is for the infrastructural development of the state.
In his overview of the Land Use Charge Law of the year 2020, the Director of Legal in the Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Veronica Oni stated that the Law was signed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on 25th May 2020, which gives the government the authority/right to collect Land Use Charge from residents.
