The Ondo State Board of
Internal Revenue has urged the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) in the state, to collaborate with tax administrators towards ensuring that foreigners paid their taxes.
The Board Chairman, Mr Akinlolu Akinsehinwa, said this in Akure on Tuesday when he led the Board’s management staff on a courtesy visit to the Ondo State Command of the NIS.
He said tax administrators needed to collaborate with immigration officials for effective monitoring of foreigners resident in the state, since they had to regularise their documents.
“We are up to standard in collecting taxes. “We will employ modern ways of getting people to perform their civic responsibilities, without making noise or breaking the law.
According to him,“All we need is information as professional tax administrators. Today’s reality calls for more concerted efforts in tax collection.
“Revenue generation is the in-thing now, no state government can toy with it and Ondo is no exception.
“The way petrol price has fallen from over $100 in a year to less than $50 makes it a clarion call on all of us to wake up to the reality and look inwards for additional revenue sources,’’ he said.
Akinsehinwa applauded the efforts of the security agencies in keeping the state free from immigrants and criminally-minded persons.
He said that the professional efficiency of the NIS officials had helped the government and the board to perform their basic responsibilities.
According to him, government has less worries in terms of security, thereby having time to focus on provision of infrastructure such as building modern mega schools and hospitals of international standard.
He explained that tax collectors also had an enabling environment to carry out their activities of collecting taxes, rates and levies.
Responding, the Controller of NIS, Ondo State Command, Mr Babalola Kehinde, promised to assist the state Board of Internal
Revenue in any way it could in generating revenue in the state.