By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Chairman, Kogi state Internal Revenue Service (KSIRS), Alhaji Salisu Sule Enehe on Thursday in Lokoja vowed to clampdown on fake and unauthorised revenue collectors on highways in Kogi state.
The chairman who gave the promise on Thursday at a press conference held in Lokoja assured that the state has enacted tax administration law, which has criminalized collection of revenue on the highway by unauthorised persons, who according to him have consistently posed security threats to the publics.
He decried the attitude of the tax collectors on the highways, who have constituted themselves into menace to motoring publics by mounting illegal roadblocks intimidating motorists with all sorts of sundry revenues.
He pointed out that the commission has solicited for the cooperation of journalists in the state to facilitate feedback and the security agencies to enforce compliance.
”These people claimed to be working for the Local Government Councils. They print their tickets forcing certain vehicles to pay for the goods. They claimed to have worked for the party in power and their reward is to print receipts and go to the highways to harass and terrorise the people.”
“We have entered into Mou with Local Government Councils and MDAs on how to harmonise revenue collection to avoid multiple taxation and we are determined to rid the highways across the state of these illegality. ”
He warned those engaging in this unscrupulous acts of illegality of posing as revenue consultants duping unsuspecting citizens to desist , warning that revenue on farm produce should only be collected at the point of loading.
He added that the state has set #30.4 bn for 2024 and assured that with the renewed determination of management and staff, it will overshoot the target.
According to him, the state Joint Tax Board SJTB was an agreement with the local Government Councils on ways to bring revenue collection under one roof as the state will collect the revenue on their behalf and remit same to them, adding that the services of revenue consultants by MDAs has been terminated.
The chairman, who commended the management and staff of their commitment to efficient service delivery assured to surpass the budgeted target of #39.4bn for the 2024 fiscal year.
