RVHA Moves To End Multiple Taxation

The Rivers State House of Assembly has said that it will end multiple taxation before the end of this year’s legislative calendar as it will monitor the state’s revenue inflow to raise the internally generated revenue for the development of the state.
The Chairman of House Committee on Finance, Hon Josiah John Olu, who stated this shortly after the committee undertook oversight functions yesterday, noted that the House will pass the bill which is before the Assembly.
Olu noted that for the House to successfully achieve this, the House need to harmonize some of the taxes stating that some of the laws are obsolete.
According to him, to harmonize some of the taxes would help stop multiple taxation, adding that this is the reason tax payers are leaving Rivers State.
“There is a bill before the floor of the House to tackle that. But we have to assure that before the end of legislative year we would be able to pass the law”, he said.
The lawmaker reminded the Internal Revenue Service that the recently passed bill which granted the service autonomy should as well drive its own process to generate more funds for the state.
The committee chairman said the oversight functions was  to see what is on ground and see what legislative backing it will do to encourage the service.
“The bill recently passed gives room to raise the internal generated revenue and charged workers to be focus”, he said.
The Acting Chairman of the Rivers State Internal Revenue Service, Mrs Onene Osita Oshiko-Obele, said there were plans to create an enabling environment for workers as well as motivate them for a greater productivity.
She urged tax payers not to patronize touts, rather they should always go to the offices and make their payments through banks, stating that the board will continue to motivate workers to ensure greater productivity and raise the internal revenue service.
The committee visited the Diobu tax office at Emenike/Okija, Obio vehicle licenses at Rumubiakani, Aba Road tax office and Port Harcourt tax office at secretariat.
The committee members includes, Hon Josiah John Olu, Gift Wokocha,
Hon Ibiso Nwuche, Hon Ben Horsfall, Mrs Felicia Taneh, Hon Okechukwu Akara, and Dr Innocent Barikor.
The Assembly will on Monday confirm board nominees who were screen last week Tuesday. The nominees could not be confirmed due to non proof of tax payment.

L-R:Head, Mid and Downstream Content Department, Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Mrs Bella Kay-Hambolu, General Manager, Content Department, Mr Olawale Fasanya and Executive Secretary, Dr Oluwole Oluleye, at the launch of Module B Welders Training Programme in Port Harcourt on Wednesday