.Proposes revenue courts law
By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – STAKEHOLDERS in Edo State including commissioners, senior civil servants, members of the judiciary yesterday lamented the continued loss of revenue through tax as it was revealed that there are many people who work in Edo State but pay their taxes to the Delta state government.
This revelation was made at a meeting of the Edo State Inland Revenue Service (EIRS) with ministries, departments and agencies on revenue collection challenges where the Executive Chairman of the EIRS, Otunba Oladele Bankole-Balogun said the service has adopted a Treasury Single Account (TSA) to reduce leakages in tax collection in the state.
Speaking, the Managing Director of the Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA), Engr Stainless Ijeghede said he had made reports on the payment of taxes of oil company workers in Edo State to Delta but the Edo State government was yet to take any action on that.
“When I go there to work at the end of the month, I still see in my pay slip, tax Delta, all my years there, I didn’t see tax Edo, what that means is that those people who work in Oben they pay tax to Delta State Government.”
While agreeing with Ijeghede, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Edo State, Hon Samson Osagie said many of the Deltans came into Edo State as settlers but because the people of the state were fond of migrating to the city, the settlers claim ownership of those places and that was leading to revenue loses for the state.
He however said that several meetings on the boundary issues have been held and adjustments made and he expects the National Boundary Commission (NBC) to visit the areas and ratify the boundaries to stop the revenue loss.
He also said his ministry is proposing a Revenue Court Law that would create specific courts to try tax offenders.
Osagie said “There is the need for Revenue Court and revenue Courts law, the whole idea is to ensure that the entire gamut of our tax system is put together in a way that enforcement and prosecution of tax offenders are easy.
“As I speak we are proposing a draft using our neibhouring Delta State as a model to have revenue courts law of Edo State so that all tax offenders will be sent to those courts and make trials fast and easy”
Earlier in his welcome address, Bankole-Balogun said though the EIRS was making progress in terms of revenue collection, there was the need for all the stakeholders to worker together and increase the state’s revenue base and that a “fundamental tool for achieving this is the single Treasury Account which we have begun to try and institutionalise. It ensures that all government agency receipts, or all government receipts, flow through a transparent, centralised account for eliminating cash handling, reducing leakages, and, most importantly, improving accountability.
“So going forward, we want to encourage that all revenue streams be remitted into the state IGR account with proper digital records and accountability.
“Remember that revenue is not an end in itself. It’s just a means and means to better roads, stronger health systems, vibrant education, safer communities and dignity for all the citizens of our state.”
He said the state was waiting for the commencement of the new national tax law and the state would key into it.
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