20th March, 2021
Edo Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) has expressed its readiness to partner with the Nigerian Army in its drive to boost the state internal revenue profile.
EIRS’s Executive Chairman, Mr Igbinidu Inneh, said this when he led his management team on a visit to the army 4 Brigade Commander in Benin, Brig. – Gen. M. A. Sadiq.
A statement by EIRS’s Head, Corporate Communications Unit, Mr Courage Eboigbe, quoted Inneh as saying “the visit was to reconnect with key agencies of government such as the Nigerian Army, in recognition of its critical role’’.
Inneh said this in a statement on Saturday in Benin.
“Our visit is premised against the backdrop on the need to reconnect with key agencies such as the army in recognition of protecting the integrity and safety of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its constituent parts against foreign and domestic threats’’.
Inneh sued for collaborative support of the brigade commander at ensuring an effective and efficient tax administration process.
He also canvased for a robust synergy between both institutions to enhance the service’s field operations.
According to him, such synergy will ensure a hitch-free access to public and private establishments under military protections for tax compliance and audit purposes.
Inneh said the partnership would help to eliminate the collection of tax in the transportation sub-sector, particularly “on our roads by unauthorised persons and non-state agents of government as robbery.
“These acts are bane to a healthy revenue-generating system’’, saying “this robust strategy will decisively deal with the ugly situation in other to protect unsuspecting members of the public against being victims.’’
Inneh informed Sadiq of the bold initiatives taken by the revenue service to making tax administration seamless for taxpayers in Edo through the deployment of IT solutions.
He said the IT solution, Edo Revenue Administration System (ERAS), allowed taxpayers to conveniently pay their taxes in installments.
The revenue service boss called on the brigade Commander to assist the service in its drive at ensuring that all taxable persons were brought into the tax net, particularly wives and relatives of army personnel engaged in economic activities.
Responding, Sadiq assured of the brigade’s support and collaboration in ensuring seamless operations of the revenue service.
“The roles played both by the Nigerian Army and the EIRS, are very critical as it is mutually beneficial to the security, economic, social and infrastructural development of Edo State.”
According to him, personnel or relatives of the military engaged in businesses outside military barracks are not exempted from paying taxes to the government.
He, however, said, “this can best be understood and sustained by sensitisation and awareness campaign”.