FG increases rates of drivers’ licences, number plates, others

The Federal Government has started the implementation of newly increased rates for vehicle number plates and driving licence across the country.

The decision for the new rates was taken at the 147th meeting of the Joint Tax Board (JTB), which was held in Kaduna on March 25, 2021, where 50% and above rate increases were effected.

According to Punch, 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.

The JTB in the new rates said that Nigerians will now pay N18,750 for standard private and commercial number plates against the old rate of N12,500, fancy number plate which was N80,000 will now cost N200,000, while motorcycle number plate which was N3,000, will now cost N5,000.

Others are, articulated number plates (three plates) will now attract N30,000, up from N20,000, 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.

JTB in its new rate said that 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, 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.

What the JTB is saying in the letter

The letter from JTB reads, “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.”

What you should know

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 internal revenue service 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.

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.

Bottom line

These new increases will definitely not go down well with Nigerians especially at this period when they are still trying to recover from the effect of the coronavirus pandemic and as such bad timing.