Business

Councils fear gritter driver shortage this winter

Gritter lorries could be hit this winter by the driver shortage, councils have warned, potentially leaving many of Britain’s roads covered in dangerous snow and ice.

Some local councils have struggled to collect bins in recent weeks due to a lack of lorry drivers, and there are fears that gritters, which spread salt to make roads safe in freezing or snowy weather, could be the next service affected.

Problems will be worsened if drivers are lured to private sector work, with firms offering high salaries and signing on fees to tackle their own HGV driver shortage, the Local Government Association said.

David Renard, transport spokesperson for the LGA, which represents councils in England and Wales, said the public sector was planning proactively but was struggling to compete.

He said: “While most councils have been able to keep services running, some may find that their gritting services are affected in the same way that some have seen waste collection services impacted.

“Councils are keen to work with government and partners to support more training for these demand sectors, however this is a lengthy process and does not alleviate the short-term pressures on frontline services.

“Fast-inflating HGV driver salaries in the private sector risks exacerbating issues in the public sector, with the rises potentially creating a retention as well as a recruitment problem for councils and their contractors.”Bigger roads should be kept clear, as National Highways said it has about 1,300 specially trained gritter drivers and 120 new gritters this winter, with a total of 535 gritters available around the motorway and A-road network.

The wider driver shortage, which has led to empty shelves, missed deliveries and fuel panic-buying, is also now affecting bus services, according to the RMT. The union warned that low paid drivers were now seeking work elsewhere.

General secretary Mick Lynch said: “For years bus workers have been underpaid and undervalued and the exodus of staff from the industry was a crisis that has been coming and will have a devastating impact on lifeline services.

“We now risk a serious escalation in transport poverty with those without cars in areas where buses are the only option left cut adrift.”

Business

Customs exceeds 2024 target, rakes in N71.6bn

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command, says it surpassed its revenue target for 2024, raking in a total of N71.6 billion.

The Customs Area Controller, CAC, Effiong Harrison, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying that its target for 2024 was N56.861 billion.

Harrison expressed delight over the record-breaking revenue achieved by the command.

The Customs Area Controller described the 2024 revenue as unprecedented, noting that it was the highest-ever generated in the history of the command.

“A detailed breakdown of the revenue underscores the remarkable achievement of the command in revenue generation.

“During a meeting with his management team, the area controller revealed that the command had exceeded its annual revenue target of N56,861,094,269.07 by generating N71,633,687,108.84.

“This represents a 20 per cent increase, amounting to N14,772,592,839.27,” he said.

According to him, July 2024, in particular, was a standout month, with the command recording its highest-ever monthly revenue of N12 billion.

Harrison, while comparing the command’s performance in 2023 and 2024, noted a significant revenue increase of N41.1 billion in 2024 when compared to the N30.5 billion generated in 2023, reflecting a 135 per cent growth.

He expressed profound gratitude to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, and his management team for their unwavering support to the command.

Harrison extended appreciation to critical stakeholders and other government agencies, acknowledging them as invaluable partners in the command’s success in 2024.

He expressed optimism that the command would achieve even greater milestones in fulfilling its core mandates in 2025.

Business

FCT-IRS announces deadline for tax returns

The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has urged private companies, government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other employers of labour in the territory to file their employee annual tax returns for 2024.

The acting Executive Chairman, Mr Michael Ango, who made the call in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, said that the employers have up to Jan. 31 to comply.

In the statement, signed by the service’s Head of Corporate Communications, Mr Mustapha Sumaila, the FCT-IRS boss said that the returns should be filed using the prescribed forms provided by the service.

This, he said, was in compliance with Section 81 of the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) 2011 (as amended) and the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Regulations.

He explained that the PITA Act mandates all employers of labour in the FCT to file annual returns of all emoluments paid to their employees and the total taxes of the preceding year, not later than Jan. 31 of every year.

Ango had during the 2025 stakeholder’s engagement, emphasised that filing of employee annual returns by all employees was mandatory as provided by law.

He added that failure to file the returns would attract penalties and other sanctions, which the FCT-IRS would not hesitate to impose on any defaulters.

According to him, the best form of compliance is voluntary, which the FCT-IRS expects from all taxpayers in the FCT.

“I, therefore, enjoined all private organisations, MDAs, government owned enterprises, including sole proprietorships who are employers of labour in the FCT to comply with their tax obligations to avoid sanctions.

“More importantly, the support will contribute to the development of the FCT and the efforts of the Minister of FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, to transform the territory into a modern city,” he said.