BY MARY KUYE
Nigeria Federal Government has perfected and executed its plans to commence the implementation of new rates for drivers’ licences and vehicle number plates.
The Joint Tax Board said Nigerians will now pay N18,750 for standard private and commercial number plates against the old rate of N12,500.
According to JTB, the fancy number plate which was N80,000 is now N200,000; the motorcycle number plate is N5,000 from N3,000 while articulated number plates (three plates) attract N30,000 from N20,000. For these rates, the minimum increase is 50 per cent.
Out of series number plate has also been revised to N50,000 from N40,000 while government fancy number plate is N20,000 against the former N15,000 rate.
Driving licence (three years) was raised to N10,000 from N6,000, excluding bank charges; licence for five years is N15,000 from N10,000 while motorcycle/tricycle driving licence (three years) goes for N5,000 from N3,000 while the one for five years attracts N8,000 from N5,000.
The decision was taken at the 147th meeting of the JTB, which was held in Kaduna on March 25.
A letter by the JTB titled ‘Implementation of the revised rates for vehicles number plates and driver’s licence in Nigeria’, dated July 30, 2021, and signed by the board secretary, Obomeghfe Nana-Aisha, directed various federal and state agencies to commence the implementation of the rates.
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Members of the JTB established by section 86 (1) of the Personal Income Tax Act Cap. P8 LFN 2004, include the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service as the chairman of the board; one member from each state and representatives of the Federal Road Safety Commission; Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission; Federal Capital Territory Administration; Federal Ministry of Finance; and Federal Inland Revenue Service.
The letter read, “You may wish to recall that at the 147th meeting of the Joint Tax Board held in Kaduna, Kaduna State on March 25, 2021, the board approved revised rates for the sale of vehicle number plates and driving licence in line with the recommendations of Appraisal and Technical Committee of the JTB.
“In the light of the foregoing, we wish to inform you that the Chairman, JTB, has approved Thursday, August 1, 2021, as the commencement date for the implementation of the new rates.”
Meanwhile, the FRSC Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, has dismissed a report circulating on social media that the agency was behind the hike, noting that the FRSC was not a revenue-generating agency.
He also described as incorrect the report that the standard number plate was N55, 000.
