**Breaking News: FG Scraps Highway Roadblocks, Simplifies Tax Payments for Small Businesses** In a major move to ease the burdens of small businesses and traders, the Federal Government has banned the mounting of roadblocks on highways to collect taxes and levies nationwide. This new development is expected to bring relief to millions of Nigerians who have long complained about the extortionate practices of tax officials. According to Olusegun Adesokan, Executive Secretary of the Joint Revenue Board, the government has signed a new Presumptive Tax Framework (PTF) aimed at simplifying tax payments for small and informal businesses. The framework, which is part of the government's tax reform programme, seeks to bring millions of small businesses into the formal economy. Under the new arrangement, businesses with an annual turnover of up to N50 million will be exempted from tax, allowing them to retain more capital to grow and expand their businesses. For other categories of informal businesses that fall outside the exemption threshold, the framework introduces a simplified tax rate based on turnover. One of the key highlights of the new framework is the ban on the use of cash for tax payment. This is a significant move towards promoting a cashless economy, which is in line with the government's efforts to encourage the use of technology for payment of taxes. Finance Minister, Wale Edun, described the PTF as a major step towards expanding the nation's tax base while protecting small businesses. The new tax regime, he explained, is designed to provide a simple and fair system that allows small businesses in the informal sector to comply with tax obligations without the burden of complex accounting requirements. The government's fiscal strategy, Edun said, is anchored on expanding the tax base rather than increasing tax rates. This approach, he noted, will help the government widen its non-oil revenue without placing an additional burden on taxpayers. The implementation of the PTF is expected to bring about a significant change in the way taxes are collected in Nigeria. By simplifying tax payments and promoting a cashless economy, the government is taking a major step towards creating a more business-friendly environment in the country. As the economy continues to grow, this move is expected to have a positive impact on small businesses and traders, allowing them to thrive and contribute to the nation's development.