Nigerians have rejected the newly imposed N1,000 mandatory annual payment for Proof of Ownership Certificate (POC) verification by all motorists introduced by the Bola Tinubu-led administration.
The Lagos State Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Abdulhafiz Toriola, announced the levy on Tuesday. Toriola disclosed that the levy was introduced by the Federal Government Joint Tax Board.
According to Toriola, the Proof of Ownership Certificate will serve as valid proof that a vehicle is legally owned by the registered individual or entity and will contain vital information such as licence plate number, model and year of manufacture, in addition to the owner’s name and address.
He added that the document will be issued at the point of renewing vehicle particulars at a minimal fee of One Thousand Naira Only (₦1000).
This comes less than a month after Tinubu announced the removal of fuel subsidy with no cushion or palliatives to alleviate the suffering of the people.
The introduction of the levy has widely drawn criticism from Nigerians who see it as further means of putting more burden on the people and causing them untold hardship.
According to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics, there are at least 11.8 million vehicles driven on Nigerian roads.
Some Nigerians who took to Twitter to express their anger described the proof of ownership levy as unnecessary and multiple taxation.