The Enugu State government has introduced a controversial mortuary tax aimed at discouraging prolonged storage of corpses in mortuaries, rather than as a revenue-generating measure. The tax, announced through a circular from the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS), was enacted in line with section 34 of the Birth, Deaths, and Burials Law, Cap. 15 Revised Laws of Enugu State 2004.
According to the circular, a daily fee of N40 will be imposed on corpses that are not buried within 24 hours, with payments required before bodies can be retrieved for burial. "Ensure that owners of corpses make the payments before collection and remit to the ESIRS in any commercial bank under the mortuary tax in Enugu State IGR Account," the notice stated.
The move has sparked criticism, with some accusing the government of imposing a burdensome tax on grieving families. However, ESIRS executive chairman, Emmanuel Nnamani, clarified that the tax is not a new policy and is not intended to target families of the deceased.
"This is an indirect tax paid by mortuary owners, not by the families. It’s only N40 per day, and not N40,000 as some are claiming," Nnamani said, further explaining that the tax has been in existence for years. "If a corpse stays in the mortuary for 100 days, the mortuary is expected to pay N4,000 to the state."
Nnamani emphasized that the policy is meant to encourage timely burials and reduce the reliance on mortuaries for extended periods, reiterating that the measure is not a revenue drive. He assured the public that no one has been denied the right to bury their deceased due to the tax.
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