Abuja – The ECOWAS on Tuesday urged member states to comply to the payment of the community levy aimed at funding the activities of the sub-regional bloc.
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Marcel Alain de Souza, emphasised the need for compliance while responding to concerns raised by members of the ECOWAS Parliament at its ongoing 2016 first ordinary session in Abuja.
In the presentation of a report on the state of the ECOWAS community, Alain de Souza said that payment commitments from member states came in late despite efforts made by the commission.
“As at March 30, 2016, deposits made is 110,705,861 dollars and outstanding amount is 345,091,866 dollars .
“There is need for member states to comply with Community Levy Protocol.
“It is going to be difficult to pay salaries in all the institutions if nothing is done about it,” he stressed.
Responding to suggestions that defaulters be made to face sanctions the Commission President said it would be difficult to take such measure.
Members, however, reiterated the need for the parliament to be given full legislative powers to facilitate the payment of levies by member states.
The instrument for the levy, a tax on imports from outside the region, requires that the levy should be collected by member states and paid into a dedicated ECOWAS Account.
According to the protocol guiding the community levy, the rate of the Community levy shall be fixed at 0.5 per cent of the value of imports originating from third countries.
This rate may be amended, as necessary, every three years by the Authority on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers. (NAN)