The Joint Tax Board (JTB) has organised a sensitisation and engagement exercise for stakeholders in the tax collection sector in Katsina State on Single Inter-State Road Tax Sticker (SIRTS), and Single Haulage Fee (SHF) initiative.
The sensitisation exercise which was held on Wednesday in Katsina was organised by the JTB in collaboration with the Katsina State Board of internal revenue service.
Speaking at the event, the JTB Executive Secretary, Hajiya Obomeghie Nana-Aisha said the aim was to end illegal tax collection, extortion on the highways and also to block revenue leakages in the country.
According to her the initiative was being implemented by the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) internal revenue service under the aegis of the JTB.
“It is a single sticker that if you buy it at N3,500 in one state, it can be used across all the 36 states including the FCT, and nobody will harass you anywhere you go.
“In order to make sure that everybody benefits from it, that N3,500, there is a portion of it that belongs to Internal revenue service, the vendor and the consultant.”
She explained that the exercise was arranged to provide ample sensitisation and awareness to relevant stakeholders and bring them into a comprehensive understanding of the SIRTS and SHF initiative.
Nana-Aisha added that the exercise was to make sure that the programme is successful at the grassroots/state level as the participants are pivotal and critical to the seamless implementation of the initiative.
“As we are all aware, the problem of multiple taxation, harassment and extortion has been commonplace on the nation’s highways for years, and this has had negative ripple effects.
“Single taxation is not only in the safety and the well-being of road users and operators across the nation’s transportation corridors, but also on the final cost of goods to consumers, and end-users.
“The extant legislation places the administration of road taxes squarely within the purview of the state government, the encroachment in the terrain by non-state government actors.
“On the other hand, had led to a situation where the administration or respective road taxes has been seemingly coherent, disorganised and an avenue for indiscriminate collections to take place.” She said.
She pointed out that in the end, they are confident that the laudable objectives of the initiatives will be met, which includes the reduction of incidences of double taxation via the sales of multiple emblems and stickers.
And also harmony, uniformity and coherence of road tax administration nationwide, restoration of the integrity of the road tax collection process, ensuring that road tax collections are remitted appropriately to government coffers and accounted for.
“While we ensure the elimination of illegal roadblocks in the nation’s transportation corridors, economic empowerment via job creation for prospective vendors and agents, as well as enhancing the IGR of states to drive socio-economic and infrastructural development within their respective jurisdictions.
“This exercise has been segmented into various sections, and we implore all participants to pay attention to the resource persons that will be leading the various discourse to fully understand the essence of the exercise.” She advised.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Chairman, Katsina State Internal Revenue Board, Alhaji Mustapha Muhammad-Surajo said the sensitisation was to rub minds to see how they can hermonise the tax collection.
He called on the participants to pay attention and take the exercise with kin interest because they are very important to the success of the programme by reaching to the yearning of taxpayers.
