KWIRS, hotel owners meet on ease of doing business, IGR growth

Members of the Association of Hotel Owners in Kwara state and the State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) have held crucial meetings on ease of doing business and ways to improve internally generated revenue (IGR) in the state.

Speaking during the meeting, the executive chairman of the KWIRS, Mrs. Shade Omoniyi, who was represented by the Director, Admin and Operations, Olatunji Balogun, Director, Legal and Compliance, Shehu Mogaji, said that the parley aimed to address ways in which both parties could enjoy more productive relationships through the creation of an enabling atmosphere that would enable ease of doing business and economic development.

The meeting, which was hosted by the revenue agency, also had in attendance representatives from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Technology, Kwara State Fire Service, Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency and Ministry of Communication.

Meanwhile, the association of hotel owners, through its president and secretary, Alhaji Dauda Akande, Babatunde Oladunmoye, respectively, appealed to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara state to save hotel business in the state from collapse.

The association said the appeal became imperative in the face of alleged harassment, extortion and unlawful locking up of hotels without a court order by the members of the revenue task force set up by the KWIRS.

The association called for a stop to payment of 50% of Hotel Tourism registration fees as annual renewal fees, saying that, “this amounts to re-registering of hotels every two years. Registration renewal fees should not be more than 25% of the initial registration fees.

“Fixing of taxes and levies should involve those who will pay, those who will collect (KWIRS) and the MDAs, to prevent unnecessary friction and rancour.

“KWIRS should stop locking up hotels without a court order since they cannot be the judge in their own case. They should follow due process in all tax matters to prevent us from approaching a court of competent jurisdiction for redress if locking up of the hotels of our members without due process continues.

“Our association is a responsible corporate citizen of Kwara state providing employment opportunities for Kwarans.”

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