OYSG ‘tax regime’ not to create hardship but… – Ajimobi

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By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan.
Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Tuesday insisted that the tax regime in Oyo State was not meant to create hardship for the people of the state,
The governor stated this in Ibadan while featuring on a Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) South West broadcast station live programme.
According to Governor Ajimobi, the government was not introducing new tax laws in the state but enforcing those laws that had been in existence and backed by the constitution of the country.
“What we are doing is backed by law. We are not introducing a new thing, we are only trying to enforce payment of tax through our Board of Internal Revenue (BIR). We have met with associations and market leaders intimating them of government’s improved tax drive and they showed readiness to cooperate with us during the engagement”, he said.
Governor Ajimobi who was speaking through the state Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun declared that with the tax drive, the government was just intensifying its efforts towards increasing the state revenue base.
He pointed out that there was the need for the government to emphasize that the tax drive was not meant to create hardship for the people but to only block “the loopholes affecting the state’s economy”.
“Some citizens are law abiding and they pay their taxes, levies and duties as at when due but some have decided not to. It is the civic responsibility of every citizen to pay tax. Over the years, we have not been fully enforcing the tax laws in the state. Most States of the federation were comfortable with the revenue from the federal government, but now that the economy is dwindling, we have to look inward and increase our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)”.
While assuring that the state government will not “create unnecessary hardship for the people,” the governor said the increase in revenue generation would lead to increase in developmental projects in the state
The governor maintained that the inter-ministerial committee on the IGR drive would commence its scheduled visit to companies, Small, Medium Large Enterprises and the informal sector within the state to make demands on their tax payment evidence in the last three years.
Governor Ajimobi then urged industries, and establishments in the state to co-operate with government officials who would be going round to carry out this assignment, as government’s calculated steps at making life meaningful for residents, through the judicious use of tax collected from them would be achieved.

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