By Oyibo Salihu
Lokoja
Kogi state Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has charged the state Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) to redouble its efforts and generate N9 billion monthly to enable the state meet its financial commitment to the people.
The governor also warned staff of the board that government would not condone any of sabotage that could hamper the realisation of the set target.
Addressing participants at the sensitisation forum on consumption tax organised by the Board of Internal Revenue in Lokoja, yesterday, Bello said the state had the potential to generate enormous revenue.
“Kogi state is endorsed with potentials that will make it not depending on federal allocation, corruption and lack of accountability without recourse for the development of the state kept Kogi where it is today,” he said.
The governor, who pointed out that the method of tax collection he inherited from the past administrations was not impressive, said he had granted the board autonomy to improve its efficiency.
According to him, “the law that gave the autonomy to the board was there before I took the mantle of leadership of the state, but successive administrations lack the political will to implement it and when I looked at the importance of the law I implemented in the interest of the state.”
Bello, who noted that all leakages would be blocked to enable the board meet the target, warned staff of the board to shun any act that capable of thwarting the core objectives of the board.
Earlier, the chairman of the board, Alhaji Oseni Yakubu, said on his assumption of office, he discovered that there was a law to impose tax on goods and services consumed in hotels, restaurants and event centres, lamenting that there was no drive to implement the law.
“The essence of this gathering is to sensitise you on the working of this law in which you are a critical stakeholder. The implementation of this law cannot be successful without you.
“The law which impose five per cent of the total cost of facilities, consumable or personal services supplied to the person who makes use of the hotel, restaurant, event centre for a fees excluding Value Added Tax is not a new law in Nigeria, but it may be new in our state.”