Kebbi Govt. Sets Up Task Force To Recover N7.1bn Unpaid Tax

NAN

The Kebbi Government on Tuesday said it had constituted a Task Force to recover a N7.1 billion tax owed it by state and federal workers, individuals, parastatals and companies.

The Solicitor-General of the state, Alhaji Aminu Usman, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi that local government staff owed N2.5 billion as PAYE while Federal Government workers owed it N3.6 billion.

He said the unpaid PAYE tax by company workers amounted to N6.3 million, while unpaid penalties to the Board of Internal Revenue was N372.7 million.

“The task force is to work out a mechanism for the recovery of the unpaid taxes and any other revenue to the state.’’

Usman said the task force would also work out modalities for the regular and sustained payment of taxes.

“The state government has presented a Bill to the State House of Assembly for the restructuring of the Board of Internal Revenue.’’

He said a court order to enforce the payment of the taxes had been obtained.

“But the state government is adopting a magnanimous approach through the task force for a sustained revenue generation formula,” Usman said.

He said also that revenue generation at the local government councils and relevant government agencies had been dismal.