The Kwara State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has appealed to the state government to expedite action on the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage.

 The NLC Chairman, Comrade Farouk Akanbi, said the implementation of the minimum wage was overdue adding that the state government ought to have implemented the wage by now, 12 months after it was approved by the Federal Government.

He also urged the state government to reduce taxes paid by the workers, claiming that the workers had been impoverished by the high taxes being deducted from their meagre salaries.

 'We have sent a memo to the state governor on the need for full implementation of the minimum wage as well as the downward review of the obnoxious tax on our salaries.

"The Pay As You Earn (PAYE) that is placed on our meagre salary is high when compared to other states. Kwara deducts about 25 per cent as PAYE,' he said.

Akanbi urged the state government to look for alternative means of funding its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) instead of placing the burden on the workers.

 'It is the responsibility of the government to provide the populace with amenities and not by surcharging the workers,'Akanbi said. 

In a swift reaction, the state government said it has the workers understanding to implement the new minimum wage when the state's income improves.

The Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Wahaab Oba, dared the workers to "show in specific terms' where government acted contrary to the law on tax deductions.

He told The Nation: "The minimum wage regime was negotiated and agreed with the workers. Duly signed and sealed. We collectively agreed that it will be negotiated when the state's income improves. As at today, nothing has changed since the time of agreement.'

On the issue of over-taxation, the CPS said the state's tax regime is statutory, and there was no arbitrary increase.

"Our tax regime is statutory. No arbitrary increase from the state. The workers will have to show in specific terms where the state government increases taxes without recourse to the existing law.

"As a matter of fact, the state has gone out of its way to increase the monthly pension allocation of N50 million to N100 million and pay other allowances in spite of the  state's meagre resources,' he said.