The Zamfara State Board of Internal Revenue Service has embarked on sensitisation of tax payers in the state on obligations to pay taxes and revenues generation.
The Chairman of the board, Akilu Muhammad Dama disclosed this during a meeting with officials of five unions in the state on Wednesday in Gusau.
The unions are: National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Tipper Drivers Association, Motorcycle and Tricycle operators.
He also met with Hotels, Caterers and Restaurant Operators, Hides and Skins Merchants, Estate Valuers, Plots and Cattle Dealers and Butchers Association among others.
Muhammad-Dama said the sensitization was aimed at addressing challenges being faced by the board relating to compliance with relevant tax laws in the state.
He observed that most states in the country were ahead of Zamfara in term of internal generated revenues due to lack of responses from tax payers.
Muhammad-Dama asserted that time has come when the state government can no longer depend on federation allocations to finance its budgetary needs, hence, the need for citizens to pay their taxes as when due.
He said that Gov Matawalle was committed to provision of infrastructural facilities, welfare and economic revitalisation through various policies and programmes which requires citizens participation in terms of revenue generation.
“The board is going to use the new Zamfara State consolidated revenue law as a guide to improve its internally generated revenues base through enforcing relevant sections to prosecute tax offenders”, Muhammad-Dama said.
He said that the board would conduct data capturing for commerical vehicles as well as to ascertain revenue derivable from the transport sector.
The chairman said that obtaining drivers’ licenses, vehicle number plates, renewal of particulars and business registration were compulsory and urged operators to adhere to it.
He maintained that no tax payer would be exempted from the statutory obligation.
