Workers of the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) on Thursday staged a protest over the plan by the Federal Government to cede the collection of stamp duty to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

The workers who were led on the protest to the headquarters of the Ministry of Finance by the leadership of the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies held up activities on the  premises of the ministry for over one hour.

The protest, which also coincided with the public presentation of the 2020 budget at the main auditorium of the Finance ministry prevented some guests and dignitaries from gaining access into or exiting the ministry.

The NIPOST workers insisted that the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed must come and address them at the gate on why the collection of stamp duty was being taken from them.

After over half an hour, Mrs. Ahmed came out to appeal to them to forward their grievance to her through a proposal.

According to the protesting workers, the current amendment of the Stamp Duty Act by the National Assembly is being made to allow the FIRS to be the agency in charge of collecting stamp duty on electronic transactions.

This, they argued, would negate the long-standing practice where stamp duty is solely collected by NIPOST.