Mayor of Ghariyan sues local internal revenue office

By Libya Herald reporter.

Gharyan, 20 May 2015:

Gharyan’s mayor, Yousif Budeiri, has filed a lawsuit against the director of the local taxation . . .[restrict]office Monday alleging that it had failed to implement part of the law which set up local municipalities that would reduce its tax burden.

The mayor said that Law 59 of 2012, specifically Articles 49 and 51, affords municipalities a 10-percent deduction in taxes.

Budeiri told the Libya Herald that he filed the lawsuit because the municipality had completely exhausted all financial means of meeting its needs, given that it is providing services to its residents under extraordinary circumstances. Gharyan also currently has a large number of displaced families taking shelter there.

Because of the lack of funds, said Budeiri, the council was unable to complete some of its projects and fulfill promises made to residents. He pointed out that these residents elected him to office in April 2014 believing these projects would be completed.

Budeiri stated that the failure of the taxation office to implement this tax reduction law was unjustifiable and crippling the work of the municipality, especially at a time when the central authorities were struggling to provide the municipalities their budgeted funds. [/restrict]