Enugu State Government Introduces Daily Tax on Mortuary Corpses

The Enugu State Government has introduced a daily tax on corpses stored in mortuaries, a move aimed at discouraging extended storage periods.

This policy, which imposes a fee of N40 per day for bodies not buried within 24 hours, is rooted in the state's legislative framework and is not intended as a revenue-generating measure.

Emmanuel Nnamani, the Executive Chairman of the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS), clarified the rationale behind this decision, stating, "The tax is not meant to generate revenue but to discourage people from taking their dead ones to the mortuary all the time." He emphasized that the levy targets mortuary owners rather than grieving families, debunking misinformation circulating on social media about the tax amount being N40,000 instead of the actual N40.

The directive, aligned with section 34 of the Birth, Deaths, and Burials Law Cap 15, revised in the Enugu state laws of 2004, mandates that payments be made before the collection of corpses for burial. Nnamani further explained, "It is an indirect tax paid by mortuary owners, not the deceased’s family, and it’s just N40, not N40,000."

This policy aims to prompt timely burials and prevent the habitual use of mortuaries for prolonged corpse storage. Since its introduction, no one has been denied the right to bury their deceased relatives, according to Nnamani. The government hopes this measure will encourage families to expedite burial arrangements, thereby reducing the strain on local morgues.