Benue govt warns LGAs to desist from multiple taxations

Benue State Government on Tuesday resolved to forward an amendment to revenue law through the Executive Council to State Assembly to plug the loopholes in the existing law that have left gaps for revenue leakages.

The government also directed local government areas of the state to desist from multiple taxations in their respective council areas which it said had discouraged traders from outside the state to come to the state to buy produce. This, it said, had also reported to waste and decline in the state internally generated revenue.

These and many others are contained in the communique issued at the end of the stakeholders meeting held at the banquet hall of the government house, Makurdi.

The meeting also resolved to send an amendment to the house of assembly through the Executive Council to plug the loopholes in the existing law that have left gaps for revenue leakages.

It also resolved that all revenues collected by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) must be paid into the State Consolidated Revenue Fund according to the law.

The communique was signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Speaker, House of Assembly and the State Governor, Professor Tony Ijohor, Titus Una and Samuel Ortom respectively.

Parts of the communique read: “That Local Government Chairmen must desist henceforth from multiple taxations in their council areas, thereby discouraging traders from coming into Benue State to buy produce which has led to waste and decline in internally generated revenue (IGR) base of the State.

“That some MDAs who have formed the habit of diverting monies collected from PAYE should desist from this unwholesome practice as it contravenes the state revenue generation laws.

“That illegal revenue collection checkpoints should be dismantled forthwith as any person or group of persons caught operating such illegal revenue collection checkpoints shall be punished.

“That the Office of the Secretary of the State Government (SSG) should convene a meeting between the Board of Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) and Local Government Chairmen to know the revenue items accruing to local Government and State in order to streamline the collection of same.

The communique also warned that any person irrespective of how highly placed you may be who violates the Revenue Law shall be sanctioned.

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