Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has directed the immediate cessation of daily levies imposed on petty traders across the state.

Following this directive, the routine collection of daily fees from traders operating without lockup shops has been abolished with immediate effect. To enforce compliance, the government has constituted a task force to monitor and prevent any violations.

The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia, made the announcement on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting focused on streamlining and clarifying revenue collection processes in markets statewide. The meeting, organised by the State Internal Revenue Service, took place at the Old Government Lodge.

He described the affected traders as vulnerable and declared that the continued collection of such daily tolls is now unlawful. He further warned that anyone found demanding the ₦100 or ₦200 charges—whether on behalf of the government or privately—would face strict legal consequences.

A task force led by the SSG has been mandated to ensure full enforcement of the directive. The governor also urged local government chairmen, traditional rulers, market leaders, and Presidents-General to report any breaches to the team.

However, the new policy does not apply to traders operating in lockup shops, who are required to pay annual fees ranging between ₦30,000 and ₦36,000. Mbah emphasised that his administration is committed to reducing the economic burden on citizens and will not tolerate practices that worsen their hardship.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria in the state, Okechukwu Edeh, assured that council authorities would ensure effective implementation of the governor’s directive.