The Ebonyi State Government has suspended the collection of manifest charges in all motor parks in the state.

Government David Umahi made this known to journalists after a closed door meeting with the Association of Mass Transit Operators of Nigeria in the Government House, Abakaliki on Tuesday.

He said, “It has been a fruitful meeting. During the meeting today (on Tuesday), we took a number of decisions. And one of the decisions is that we are not abolishing the law as an arm of government (Executive), but we have the power to suspend it and then look at it again, and then go back to the House of Assembly to discuss the issues with them.

“We have suspended manifest fees because it is giving problem to our people. So nobody should pay manifest fees from today onwards. The fee is hereby suspended.”

He described the meeting as fruitful but stated that each private park owner in the state would pay a consolidated revenue fee as well as development and registration levies.

“What we agreed also is that all the private park owners should henceforth pay a consolidated revenue of N3m and N500,000 development levy per year. For new park, registration remains N250,000,” the governor added.

The meeting was convened to end the impasse over the payment of taxes demanded by the state’s Internal Revenue Board.

•Photo shows Governor Umahi.