Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, has pledged to assist the Federal Inland Revenue Service to increase the volume of revenue being generated from taxes.
Ortom stated this when he visited the Executive Chairman, FIRS, Mr. Babatunde Fowler, at the headquarters of the agency in Abuja.
A statement by the FIRS on Sunday quoted the governor to have lamented that despite the huge population of the country, the amount being generated as taxes was below acceptable standards.
The statement was signed by the Head, Communication and Servicom Department, FIRS, Mr. Wahab Gbadamosi.
It quoted Ortom as saying, “We should not have the kind of financial challenges we are having today in infrastructure and other areas because our population is enough. If genuinely, we are paying our taxes, we should be able to fund our developmental needs.
“I promise to support you and collaborate with you wherever necessary to maximise tax collection and add value to what you do, because what you collect comes to the Federation Account, which also comes to us.”
Fowler was said to have called for more collaboration with state governments in improving the level of compliance by the citizens with tax laws.
He said, “We are in a situation where the compliance rate for Value Added Tax and Companies Income Tax is far below 100 per cent.
“Being where we are now, I am sure you know more than I do that states have challenges of funding their activities. I believe a way out is to collect all taxes due to the government.”
