LAWMA’s levies on construction materials: Developers petition Lagos assembly

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LAWMA

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By Dickson Omobola

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Association of Real Estate Developers of Lagos State, AREDOLS, has petitioned the Lagos State House of Assembly over what it described as the Lagos State Waste Management Authority’s, LAWMA, misclassification of construction materials as waste, urging the lawmakers to direct the agency to stop imposing levies and penalties on such materials.

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AREDOLS Chairman, Kamil Shodeinde, and General Secretary, Ahmod Olukotun, made the call in a petition titled: ‘Urgent Petition on LAWMA’s Neglect of Its Primary Responsibility on Domestic Waste Management and Misclassification of Construction Materials as Waste,” dated August 10.

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The association faulted LAWMA for classifying planks, derricks and other construction materials as construction waste, insisting that the items were recyclable materials used in building projects.

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It also called on the House of Assembly to investigate what it described as LAWMA’s failure to effectively manage domestic waste across the state.

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AREDOLS questioned the categorisation of waste into domestic, medical and industrial waste, arguing that each category required distinct handling and management.

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The petition read in part: “We wish to state categorically that these items are recyclable materials used for construction purposes and not waste in the ordinary sense. The misclassification and attendant levies and penalties are imposing an undue financial burden on developers and end users, thereby worsening the cost of housing and construction in Lagos.”

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The developers therefore, urged the assembly to intervene by reviewing the agency’s classification of construction materials and addressing what they described as the financial burden imposed on developers and home buyers

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