BY DAYO ADESULU

The imposition of various levies on private school owners in Lagos State by both the state and local governments has been described as unfair as the schools are not benefiting anything from government.

This position was made known by the proprietor of Talent-Link Schools, Ipaja, Lagos, and Mr.Agboola Awe during an interview. According to him, payment of taxes by school owners is not bad in itself if the schools are getting one form of assistance or the other from government.

Unfortunately, he said, private schools, which are contributing in no small measure to the development of human capital in the country, are being forced to pay multiple taxes without benefiting from government.

His words: “Payment of taxes is good if it is used judiciously in a manner that will benefit the payer. But private schools are not deriving any benefit either directly or indirectly from the taxes they pay .

This is not fair at all because the lion share of school fees payable to private schools are ploughed back to the system to ensure the delivery of qualitative education. T

he opposite is the case in overseas because they recognize the fact that both the products of public and private schools ultimately contribute to societal growth.

Explaining the various levies through which private schools are extorted, Awe said their staffs are not exempted from the Pay as You Earn Tax {PAYE} and schools owners are also made to pay proprietors’ tax to state government.

He added that each private school also pays annual due which range between #80,000 and #200,000, depending on students’ population while they also pay to local governments numerous taxes in form of corporate tax, tenement rate, land use tax and advertisement rate.

The proprietor canvasses for the streamlining of these taxes, reiterating that government should also complement schools owners’ effort in delivery high standard of education.

The areas in which government could assist private schools, according to Awe, include the donation of scientific equipment, infrastructural development and the release of subvention.

He said: “Special allowance is given by government to science teachers in public schools as a way of attracting them to teaching. Government can also implement this kind of incentive for teachers of science subjects in private schools so that the nation can attain the much needed scientific and technological development”.