BIRS, Adamawa Revenue Board to collaborate on ending illegal taxes

The Executive Chairman of Benue Internal Revenue Service, BIRS, Chief Mimi Adzape-Orubibi and her Adamawa State counterpar, Alhaji Hammaadama Njabbari have resolved to collaborate to end the incidents of illegal multiple taxes being imposed by fake tax collectors on cattle traders from Adamawa who travel through Benue to the southern parts of the country.

The officials reached the resolution when Chief Adzape-Orubibi, on behalf of the Benue State Government, hosted a delegation from Adamawa State which visited the state to interface with the Benue State Government on the matter.

According to a statement by the Media Assistant to the BIRS Executive Chairman, Suswam Terhemba, issued Friday in Makurdi, Alhaji Njabbari said the visit was mandated by the Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, “following the outcry of cattle dealers in the state over the multiple security and illegal revenue checkpoints in Benue that leads to the extortion and harassment of the traders.”

Terhemba in the statement explained that the visit which also included an interface with security agencies like the police and army in the state was to find lasting solution to the concerns raised by the traders.

He stated that the Adamawa State Chairman of the Cattle Dealers Association, Alhaji Abubakar Inuwa, disclosed that between 400 to 500 trucks of cattle leave the state weekly, “but they are forced to travel longer routes through Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Kaduna and Kogi states to link the southern parts of the country instead of the shorter route through Benue due to the regular harassment and multiple taxes on the roads in Benue.”

Alhaji Inuwa lamented that the development was not only affecting their business negatively, but had also denied the Benue State Government the much needed revenue and the patronage enjoyed by some towns in the state where the traders usually stopped over to rest.

Also, a member of the delegation, Brig. Gen. AS Bashir (Retd) said the traders often lose their cattles and income as a result of the long routes which usually took them several days compared to the Benue route.

Responding, Chief Adzape-Orubibi who welcomed the delegation to the state acknowledged their submissions, pointing out that upon her re-appointment as the Executive Chairman of BIRS she was greeted by the issue of the multiplicity of security and illegal revenue checkpoints across the state.

Chief Adzape-Orubibi noted that no business could survive with multiple taxation, stressing that the issue was very worrisome which was why she took on the matter headon by holding several engagements with all stakeholders in the state over the menace.

The Chairman told the delegation that “Governor Samuel Ortom has declared zero tolerance for illegal checkpoints and recently donated three hillux patrol vehicles to the service to help combat the menace and so far about 89 persons have been arrested and arraigned as armed robbers, and are currently remanded.”

The Executive Chairman also presented the delegation with copies of the approved tariffs for livestock taxes and assured the delegation that they could make payments at any commercial bank in Adamawa State using the e-bills platform and the receipts presented at all BIRS Gazetted Inspection Points in the state.

According to her “by this the traders can call any of the toll-free numbers of the BIRS which was provided to them, if they encounter any challenge on the roads in the state.”

She also told the team that the state had “only 16 gazetted revenue inspection points across the state and at each point a sign post is mounted to indicate the place.”

At the end of the meeting, the delegation which also met with the Police and the military expressed satisfaction with the decisions reached and promised that their traders would resume plying Benue routes.

SOURCE: VANGUARD