The Lagos State Government has announced that tax clearance is now a mandatory requirement for housing transactions. This measure is being implemented to prevent fraud and protect allottees.
The permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing,
Abdulhafis Toriola, made this announcement in a recent statement issued by the
Chief Public Affairs Officer of the ministry, Adesile Rufai.
Toriola explained that the new requirement will help prevent
fraudulent transfers of home ownership and protect individuals who may have
lost their homeownership documents.
He said, “In a bid to eradicate fraud in the transfer of
homeownership and protect the interests of allottees in cases of loss of
homeownership documents, all applications relating to the transfer of
homeownership are to be accompanied with evidence of home ownership, a search
conduct result and a valid means of identification in cases of loss of
homeownership documents.”
As per the guidelines, an individual applying for the
transfer of ownership must attach a letter of allocation, payment receipts, and
a valid form of identification to their application. These documents should be
submitted to the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing.
This measure has been implemented to ensure the authenticity
of ownership claims and facilitate a proper transfer process. The increased
instances of false claims discovered by the ministry necessitate this step.
He stated, "Nevertheless, the permanent secretary
revealed that from now on, homeowners seeking replacement of lost documents
must submit the homeowner(s) national identification card, police report, and
loss of document in the national newspaper along with the application for
processing and confirmation of ownership.
All housing transaction applications in the state must be
supported by proof of a valid tax clearance certificate of the applicant,
including those in public or civil service, for home unit application, change
of ownership, or loss of home ownership document.
The Permanent Secretary emphasized that all housing
construction and infrastructure facilities in the state were financed by
taxpayers' money, and beneficiaries of these projects must show evidence of
personal income tax.
He cautioned, "The ministry will not consider any
application that does not include the mentioned documents.
“Citizens are encouraged to fully utilize the opportunities
provided by the State Government’s prioritization of completing all ongoing
housing projects. This initiative aims to reduce the housing deficit within the
state and contribute to the nation’s overall housing goals.”