House deficit, not taxation, responsible for high rent in Enugu – ESIRS boss

The chairman, Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS), Emmanuel Ekene Nnamani, Tuesday, said the perceived high cost of rent in Enugu state is not caused by the supposed high taxes being paid in Enugu state, especially the Enugu capital city.

Nnamani, who was addressing newsmen Monday on the three-year scorecard since he assumed the headship of the revenue service posited that what led to increase in house rent is lack of adequate accommodation.

He stated that because there is a deficit in housing, accommodation needs arose and as a result, property owners increased their rent knowing that people must need accommodation.

He stated that the state government has plans to reduce high rent in the city by building more residential houses especially for students and members of staff of tertiary institutions.

“High rent in Enugu is not caused by tax; it is a national issue. There is a house deficit in Nigeria. We have not built houses to control the population growth,” he said, adding that when high rising buildings of say four to five storey buildings are built, it will help reduce housing accommodation and the attendant high rent paid.

The ESIRS boss, frowned at the way people are saying that tax is too high in Enugu and that it is driving the high rent in the metropolis, saying that should more houses be built, landlords might even be begging tenants to come and live in the property.

Nnamani pointed out that they are expanding their dragnet to rake in more revenue for the state, adding that they have launched a property enumeration app that would enable them to get the number of property that will pay land use charge.

Throwing more light on land use charge, he said, “we have launched a property enumeration app. This is to enable us to know every property even in the villages.”