By Idahosa Musa, Benin City
Stakeholders in Edo State have lamented what they described as the continuous loss of revenue to neighboring Delta State through taxes.
The people made the claim at a stakeholders meeting, organized by the Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), on Wednesday in Benin
The interactive session of the one-day program had in attendance top government functionaries, heads and representatives of ministries, departments and agencies
Engr Stainless Ijeghede, Managing Director of the Edo State Traffic Management Agency, said he had made reports on the payment of taxes of oil company workers in Edo State to Delta, noting that the Edo State government was yet to take any action.
Continuing according to alltimepost reports, He said, “When I was working at that place, at the end of the month, I saw in my pay slip that the tax was paid to Delta.
“What that means is that those people who work in Oben pay tax to the Delta State Government.”
While agreeing with Ijeghede, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon Samson Osagie, said many of Deltans came into Edo State as settlers but because the people of the state were fond of migrating to the city, the settlers claimed ownership of those places and that led to lose of revenue for the state.
He, however, said that several meetings on the boundary issues have been held and adjustments made, noting that he expects the National Boundary Commission to visit the areas and ratify the boundaries to stop the revenue loss.
Osagie also said his ministry was proposing a revenue court Law that would create specific courts to try tax offenders.
“There is the need for Revenue Court Law that will see to the setting up of a specific court to try offenders.
“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 neighbouring 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, the Executive Chairman of EIRS, Barr. Oladele Bankole-Balogun, said though, the EIRS was making progress in terms of revenue collection, there was the need for all the stakeholders to work together and increase the state’s revenue base.
He said that a fundamental tool for achieving this is the Single Treasury Account which the state has begun to institutionalize.
He noted that this would ensure a transparent flow of resources into a centralized account thus eliminating cash handling, reducing leakages, and, most importantly, improving accountability.
Bankole-Balogun added, “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 to enable the state to provide better roads, stronger health systems, vibrant education and safer communities.”
He said the state was waiting for the commencement of the new national tax law which it would key into.
