The Speaker of the Cross River House of Assembly, Mr. Eteng Williams, on Wednesday said that the assembly was in the process of amending the state’s tax exemption law.

Williams said this in Calabar during a courtesy visit to the assembly by the Cross River Anti-tax Agency.

He said that the state’s tax exemption law of 2015 exempted low-income earners employed by the government, the physically challenged, and others in the low-income bracket in the state.

He, however, added that the law would be amended to include levies, rates, and others that low-income earners were compelled to pay in the state.

“The law must stand and must be followed by every incoming governor of the state, so the agency’s visit is timely and important to us.

“Extortion is evil; we cannot as a government encourage it. This government feels it is wrong, we cannot stand and see our people suffer,” he said.

He advised that the agency should pay more attention to border points, adding that no persons or groups should under any guise extort the people of the state.

Similarly, the Chairman of Cross River Anti-tax Agency, Bishop Emmah Isong, in his remarks said that oppressive tax regimes against poor Cross River residents must stop.

Isong said that though the governor, through an executive order had excluded low-income earners from all forms of tax payment, they came to advocate for a proper law from the legislative arm of the state to enable them to carry out their functions effectively.

“It has not been easy for us, people are making money from illegal checkpoints, some makeup to N1 million daily.

“We have come to you to help us generate necessary legislation to help us fight the cartels.

“We have interfaced with the Cross River Internal Revenue Service (CRSIRS) but we need necessary laws that will support our functions.

“People are leaving the state every day because of multiple taxations; the touts beat us and molest people every day, help us fight this battle with necessary legislation,” he said.

He added that every resident of the state should be vigilant and call the agency’s hotline 07026105177 to report cases of any molestation by touts who might be ordering people to pay tax or levies.