The Kogi state government has introduced Ref collection machine as an effort to curb financial recklessness in revenue generating among transporters in the state.
The Executive Chairman of Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS), Mr Aliyu Salami disclosed this on Monday during the stakeholders meeting between the management of and stakehokders in transport sector, traditional ruler, Civil Society and security agencies.
He said that it has become necessary for the state government to take such step in order to increase the state internal revenue generation .
He pointed out that the covid-19 pandermic ravaging the world has affected the state economy greatly and as such they have to adopt a measure that will augment federal allocation to the state.
According to him before 2017 , in the operationalization of the law that pave ways for collection of taxes and levies in the state , KGIRS in collaboration with tricycle , Okada rider operators and the Nation Union of Road Transport Workers agreed to issue one ticket for the unions and the KGIRS.
“Kogi State Government has been showing its displeasure over the performance of the unions in generating revenue using one ticket, therefore we have decided to be issuing ticket per one operator using the newly introduce Ref Collection Machine to boost our internal revenue and to block leakages.
“This directives will take effect from the month of July, 2020 and this measure will not any way distract the union levy collection, it will also help the state government to employ more people across the 21 local government areas as more hands will be engage” he explained.
He noted that the collection of tax and levy in the state is a legal business backed by law, as he called on traditional institutions to talk to their transport unions in their domain for effective collection of taxes and levies accrued to the government.
In his comment, the consultant Kogi East transport union, Alhaji Ali commended the management of KGIRS for the assurance to look into double taxation meted to transporters in the state.
He pledged the support of the transport workers in the eastern part of the state in ensuring that the revenue generation of the state improve to enable government attend to the need of the people.
