BENIN—EDO State Government has banned agents from collection of taxes and levies from artisans, market women, taxi and bus drivers on behalf of local government areas in the state.
Chairman of Edo State Board of Internal Revenue Services, Chief Oseni Elamah, who addressed newsmen in Benin, also announced the disengagement of Akugbe Ventures, a private company responsible for collecting levies from commercial drivers in the state on behalf of the state government.
He added that unions such as Road Transport Employees Association, Drivers’ Welfare Scheme and National Union of Road Transport Workers, were barred forthwith from collecting union dues on the highways, noting that the extant laws forbade government from engaging agents for the purpose of collecting taxes and levies from citizens.
He insisted that revenue accruing to the government at all levels were supposed to be collected in a prescribed manner and not through agents or consultants.
According to him, “The law gave government the power to generate revenue to render services to the people.
The proviso there is that nobody has the power to mount road blocks in whatever name on the highway to collect revenue.
“We have written to the police to enforce the cashless revenue collection of Edo State Government.
We are implementing the Federal Government law which forbids anybody from mounting roadblock under the guise of collecting revenue. Any member of the public that is harassed or intimidated should report such persons to the Police.
“We urge the police to arrest culprits because the law does not allow the collection of revenue on our highways or streets.
Whenever you pay, demand for government official receipts,” he added.(Vanguard)
