Rivers State Commissioner for Finance, Hon. George Feyii has decried the effect of inaccurate data on effective collection of tax in the informal business sector.

Hon Feyii who was speaking in a chat with The Tide in Port Harcourt recently, said the porosity of accurate information in the sector makes it difficult for the collection of their taxes.

He reiterated that many private business owners in the state escape from the payment of taxes, unlike the developed countries where accurate data about every business income and persons are provided at a click of the button.

The Finance boss, however, noted that “as society develops, the systems to ensure that people comply with tax payment are increasingly being refined and made more effective. With time people will find it more difficult to escape from paying tax.

He further stated the need to put tax payment as a condition for the enjoyment of government facilities /services, adding that this will make the private sector to comply with the payment of tax which are civic responsibilities .

According to him government workers in the nation and state have no problem in this direction as their organised system of payment makes it difficult for any worker to escape tax payment.

He stressed the importance of tax payment to the government and society, noting that federal government allocation to the state alone cannot handle the many development projects of Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi’s led administration in the health, education, works and other sectors.