BY BENJAMIN— Apr 5, 2016 5:35 am|Leave a commentAs part of its target of N45 billion as it’s annual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in Kaduna State, pettytraders such as those selling tomatoes, frying bean cakes, selling other petty goods are also expected to pay tax in the state, the Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS) Mallam Muktar Ahmed has disclosed.According to the KASIRS chairman, those who engages in petty sales will make their payment based on what he called “presumptive tax” according the size of their business and sales.He said, there has been meetings with unions and business groups to that effect.Mallam Ahmed also disclosed that 20 billion naira is targeted to be generated from the MDAs while 25 billion naira is targeted to be generated from the state internal service.The Chairman who stated this while briefing newsmen in Kaduna, added that “it is no longer news that the dip in the nation’s oil earnings has affected allocations from the federalaccount, this scenario has been on for months foisting a serious crunchon federal, state and local government allocations.“Consequently it has become pertinent for states to take on the issue of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) seriously as it is the only way to cushion the effects of falling federal allocations and for states to be self-sustaining.”He stressed that in view of the set target and bearing in mind the promise of delivering dividends of democracy to the good people of Kaduna State, the Governor Mallam Nasir Ahmad el- Rufai, upon assumption of office hit the ground running by setting up a committee headed by Mrs Ifueko Omogui Okauru , a seasoned tax administrator and one time executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) who was mandated with the task of reviewing the tax and revenue generating mechanism in the state in order to widen the tax net and also collect all potential revenues within the state.“The committee submitted its report in August 2015 and based on the recommendations of the committee and in recognition of the need for legislative empowerment of the State board of Internal Revenue, an executive bill known as the Kaduna State tax (Codification and consolidation) law, 2016 was sponsored and passed by the Kaduna State House of Assembly and assented to by the governor.“The Law establishes the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service and seeks to consolidate all taxes payable in the state in one law and in one document.”The law, he said will “prohibit the collection of cash revenues and automate the operations, harmoniseand centralise all revenue collections,Simplify payment, introduce investor friendly tax code, promote transparency and accountability, eliminate multiplicity of taxes, encourage voluntary compliance, ensure improved and professional service delivery, provide taxpayers with information on precise taxes payable.“We will enforced non-cash collection in all revenue offices across the state, we will also enforced the adoption of genuine third party insurance across the state, entered into an arrangement with Interswitch to facilitate the deployment of 100 PoS terminals in addition to the existing ones in preparation for expanding revenue collection across the state.“We will set in motion the quick recovery of tax liabilities amounting to N12 billion by undertaking recovery drives to selected federal government institutions where we parleyed with the management of the institutions.”He informed that as part of measures to ensure that all stakeholders concerned are carried along, “We have met with over sixty trade unions and associations with respect to reaching a mutual agreement on rates that will be charged their members under the presumptive tax regime. We have also held talks with IT companies in preparation for full automation of the service.“Discussions are also on-going with banks to set up kiosks in revenue collection centres across the state. We have directed the 23 local governments and MDA’s in the stateto immediately implement the new law especially on non-cash revenue collection. Plans are on-going to create codes for revenue lines underLocal Government Councils.“We have in collaboration with Interswitch brought the Kaduna State Water Board billing system onto the pay direct system and are working to interface their billing system with the platform.“We have also deployed PoS’ to all government hospitals across the state, this is in order to stop cash collections of bills and to ensur.e proper charging and payment of bills.
