Abia to set up cost centres as it fine-tunes revenue generation policy

The move will also eliminate over taxing of citizens and check activities of fraudulent individuals who pose as government officials to collect levies and taxes from innocent citizens, without remitting it to government treasury.

Gabe Igboko, commissioner for environment and solid minerals development, Abia State, in an exclusive interview with BusinessDay in Aba, affirmed that taxes in Abia were being harmonised to eliminate multiple taxation and touting, especially in Aba.

Igboko, who is a member of Abia State Internally Generated Revenue Council, headed by Ude Oko Chukwu, Abia State deputy governor, said, “We don’t want to encourage charlatans who will claim all sorts of authorisation by going for what they call ‘flying revenue.’

“In my ministry, we will say that there is nothing like ‘flying revenue,’ everything is stationery. Tax harmonisation is very much on our front burner.

“We will have codes or cost centres and when that recognised agent collects the taxes, every other interest-Ministry, Department or Agency, will now have the thing designated to it, so that it can be captured by the Board of Inland Revenue (BIR).

“More importantly to the State, is that Government’s responsibility, primarily is social service, but government is not International Committee of the Red Cross, government must survive and the only way of Government survival is physical taxation.

“So, while we are looking at the proper enumeration, we are also ensuring justifiable use of revenue. We really want the average person on the street to feel the positive impact of government.”

Meanwhile, the Abia State government has commenced the sensitisation of business operators and other residents in the state, against touting and illegal collection of revenues, especially in Aba.

This is in line with the ongoing revenue harmonisation exercise being worked out by the government and other stakeholders to eliminate touting.

The harmonisation exercise will also ensure that all stakeholders contribute to the development of the state, as accurate taxes and levies collected will boost the state’s IGR and put more money in government purse for developmental purposes.