Ododo warns stakeholders on tax evasion

….as KGIRS flags off automated taxation on commercial road users

Ahmed Usman Ododo, Kogi State governor, has warned that tax evaders would be punished within the ambit of the state tax law.

Ododo stated this on Monday at the flag-off ceremony of the Infrastructure Maintenance Levy (IML) Collection in Lokoja, organised by Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGRIS).

Represented by Folashade Ayoade Arike, secretary to the government of the state, the governor said that revenue is the key to the development of any state, adding that his administration will continue to provide basic infrastructure across the state, through revenues accrued from the state and federal.

Ododo equally urged business owners, and commercial road users, to cooperate with the government in providing infrastructure to the people of the state.

Read also: Appeal Court upholds Ododo’s election as Kogi governor

Speaking earlier, Sule Salihu Enehe , chairman, Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, disclosed that the Infrastructure Maintenance Levy collection started in Kogi State in 2017, adding that the state is yet to optimise the potential like other sister states.

“Today, being set aside for the flag-off is to rededicate the commitment of the Service for the collection of the revenue which we generally referred to as the ‘flying revenue.”

“We are grateful for the tremendous support the revenue body has received from the state government since 2017 when the law for the collection of IML was signed into law by Yahaya Adoza Bello, former governor.

“Although the IML collection has had many ups and downs since 2017 with low revenue collection, we have, thus, decided to adopt digital devices for seamless collection, going forward, and with this initiative, amongst others, we are confident that the revenue will improve significantly.

“I would like to appeal to our critical stakeholders in the transport sector to cooperate with the Revenue Body and make the IML collection a success,” Enehe said.