The Edo State Deputy Governor and Chairman, Revenue Harmonization Committee, Rt. Hon. Philip Shuaibu has flagged off the pilot scheme of the e-revenue collection at the three metropolitan local government areas in Edo State for the next three weeks with a call to taxpayers to see tax payment as the actualization of their civic responsibility.
Rt. Hon Philip Shuaibu who piloted the process of the cashless revenue collection, personally went round issuing receipt to taxpayers at Urhopkota Hall car park and Oba Market in Oredo Local Government Area and Uselu Market/Mella Motel Road in Egor Local Government Area.
The exercise which seems to have increased the hope for the elimination of uncivilized method of revenue collection in the state, according to the Deputy Governor is to run for three weeks in Oredo, Egor and Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Areas and thereafter be extended to other areas of the state after its workability has been determined.
The Deputy Governor who had an interactive with the traders and drivers at the mentioned spots also took time to educate them on the need to pay their tax through the e-revenue system which gave them the added opportunity of winning at government’s raffle draws generated from the data of the daily revenue collection system.
He advised taxpayers not be moved by whatever threat that might come from any individual or group who might want to take undue advantage to forcefully collect money from them.
He encouraged them to be bold to ask for government approved means of identity, ticket and local government configured system.
The Deputy Governor also implored members of the public to embrace the innovative idea of government in revenue collection in the state, saying that the state would be better for it as it is designed to block leakages and to instil some level of sanity and discipline.
The Head of Local Government administration in Egor, Mrs. Racheal Erefo in an interview said the computerized method of revenue collection in the state will benefit both taxpayers and governments stressing that Egor Local Government has commenced sensitization and orientation on the new method.
According to her “the uncivilized manner in which revenue agents used to go about their business in the state prompted the state government to ban all forms of illegal ticketing”.
Listening to feedback from bus drivers who are to pay N200, tricycle riders N100, and traders at market who now pay N50, gave a positive response with the assertion that the new cashless revenue system of revenue collection was quick; they got instant receipts for payments which also opened them to the available help line number on the receipt but most importantly, the tax is within their reach which made the process pocket friendly.
A bus driver, Mr. Owie, opined that the new system of revenue collection was preferable to the previous system as the documentation process was commendable as it gave them an edge over the previous prevailing system of cash collection.
On the entourage of the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shuaibu on this pilot scheme of e-revenue collection, was the Executive Chairman, Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), Mr. Igbinidu Inneh and other members of the Board.