The Edo State Internal Revenue Service has met with key stakeholders under the Transportation Sector and Stamp Duties Act.
Both meetings which were at the instance of EIRS had the EIRS Executive Chairman Hon. Barr Oladele Bankole-Balogun represented by the Executive Director Other Revenue, Hon. Michael Ohio-Ezomo who presided over both meetings.
The stakeholders meeting within the transportation sector was with a view to ensuring effective and efficient service delivery to taxpayers particularly motorists as well as protecting them from issues of fraud and touting related activities.
While the issue of Stamp Duties Act centered around implementation and compliance with the Act by the Ministries Department & Agencies and the respective Local Government Council authorities.
Stakeholders were unanimous in their call on the EIRS to reintroduce the joint Road Check Exercise. They were optimistic that such exercise would significantly help to sanitize the transport system in the State.
The stakeholders however appealed to management of EIRS to address scarcity and long delays in the capture/issuance of number plates and drivers license.
While using for more public enlightenment and engagement with drivers to reduce Road crashes, stakeholders further called on the Edo State Government, the EIRS and security agencies to strongly address issues of unions and persons involved in unauthorized revenue collection.
Stakeholders under the Stamp Duties Act commended the EIRS for the interactive meeting as it was educational, informative and an eye opening to issues that were new to them.
Stakeholder assured of doing the right thing going forward through compliance with relevant tax Laws and appealed for more interactive meetings specially with Council Chairmen of Council Areas.
The Executive Director Other Revenue, Hon. Michael Ohio-Ezomo in his responses, said:
“The EIRS has made visits to the Federal Road Safety Commission Headquarters for the purpose of increasing production and supply of number plates to the State.”
Hon. Ohio-Ezomo informed of the Revenue Service’s plan to have additional driver’s license data capture centers in Edo and carry out a road check exercise unannounced. He therefore appealed to motorists to do the needful by renewal of their expired vehicle documentation.
He assured stakeholders of the Edo State Government’s desire and commitment to put in place a sanitized transport system devoid of touting activities and illegal revenue collection. To this end, he re-echoed the government’s ban on the unauthorized collection of revenue and directive to security agencies to arrest and prosecute those that contravene the government’s directive.
The Executive Director Other Revenue noted that Government’s MDAs and LGAs are under obligation to apply, deduct and remit a one percent (1%) Stamp Duty to Edo State Government on certain documentation such as land documents and awarded contract sums in line with the Stamp Duty Act.
Participants present at both interactive stakeholders’ meetings include Local Government Council Chairmen in Edo State, Heads and representatives of Edo Geographic Information Service, Edo State Transport Authority and other State MDAs, security agencies and the Federal Road Safety Corps.
TAX COMPLIANCE: EDO IRS MEETS STAKEHOLDERS ON TRANSPORTATION, STAMP DUTY ADMINISTRATION
