Traders in Onitsha, under the aegis of Onitsha South Street Traders Association in Anambra have lamented the continued existence of multiple levies in spite of the introduction of General Purpose Levy (GPL).

BRANDPOWER reports that the state government through Anambra State Internally Revenue Service (AIRS) had introduced GPL to unify all forms of levies into one source of payment.

Addressing journalists on Sunday, the Chairman of the group, Mr Eric Uwaoma, commended Gov. Charles Soludo for the introduction of GPL.

Uwaoma noted that the introduction of GPL had assisted in no small measure towards curtailing the multiple levies being extorted from traders.

He, however, lamented that certain elements still operated in the market with thugs.

According to him, in Onitsha South, the illegal levy collectors still operate and even with thugs, touts and security operatives.

“We pray for overhaul of personnel in Onitsha because residents now live at the mercy of this group who openly extort and tell their victims to do their worst.

“They extort in the name of enforcing sanitation, not minding the governor’s directive that poor traders that do business with N100,000 or less should not be levied,” he said.

He urged the state government to ensure entire sack of illegal revenue collectors in the area and by extension the state.