The Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), says it will carry out appropriate sanctions on any revenue scratch card dealer found not to be in compliance with the card distribution process within the haulage and produce collection space.
This position was taken at a meeting between the EIRS and approved revenue scratch card dealers responsible for the distribution of the one card payment solution to end users, in the mobile collection system under the informal sector.
Speaking at the meeting, the Executive Chairman, EIRS, Igbinidu Inneh, who was represented by the Executive Director, Tax Compliance, Emmanuel Okodugha, said “The Revenue Service will not hesitate to arrest, prosecute any dealer found culpable in the creation of artificial scarcity and non-issuance of revenue scratch cards to end users.” He added: “That the Revenue Service, has zero tolerance for fraudulent activities and will make public by publishing the arrest and prosecution of any revenue scratch card dealer found wanting”.
Okodugha stated, that the meeting with the revenue card distributors was to review the activities of cards dealers, ensure full compliance with the process mandate issued as well as re-emphasize their role in the revenue collection process.
Speaking further, the Executive Director while admonishing the card dealers to always debrief and monitor their sub-dealers in the distribution value chain, also solicited for their support as critical stakeholders in the drive for revenue, which is judiciously used by government in the development of the State’s infrastructure.
Some of the revenue scratch card dealers cited the raining season, closure of Nigerian boarder by the Federal Government and poor state of roads as challenges faced.