From Right: Edo State Deputy
Governor Philip Shaibu, Governor Obaseki, Speaker, House of Assembly, Dr.
Justin Okonoboh and Majority Leader, Mr. Ogedengbe
The proposed bill to harmonize revenue collection by the various
local government areas in Edo State has been signed into law by Edo State
Governor Mr. Godwin Obaseki.
Governor Godwin Obaseki expressed delight in the quick passage of
the bill thanking the State House of Assembly for their commitment to the
reforms by his administration.
“I want to thank the speaker and the honorable members of the Edo
State House of Assembly for once again demonstrating their commitment to the
reforms that this government has committed to pursue. Mr. Speaker, less than a
month ago, we submitted a draft bill to harmonize the rate and levies
collection by local government councils in the state. The action was in
pursuance of my new year’s day broadcast where we prohibited none state actors
from collecting government revenue” He said.
Governor Obaseki added it was discovered that the levies and taxes
collected especially in local government councils were not uniformed as such
this bill was introduced. “We thought before re-introducing collection of taxes
in the local government councils, we needed to have the enabling law to back
such collections. We needed to have harmony and uniformity in this taxes and
levies.
He said while waiting for the approval of the bill, the government
put in place machinery for the implementation of the bill.
Obaseki said his administration has put in place a technology
which is not cash-based which will make the system efficiency in the
collections of this revenue. He said his administration will ensure that all
taxes and revenue paid by Edo people are captured and deposited in the treasury
of the Edo State Government.
To ensure transparency, Obaseki said he has instructed that a
separate schedule be presented where each local government will announce the
taxes collected in each month and how it will be applied. He said this is
necessary for the citizens to see how transparent this administration is in
collection and usage of the revenue collected from the people.
Earlier, the Speaker Edo State House of Assembly, Justin Okonobo
who led some members of the house and head of some local government
administration said the house considered every aspect of the bill before it was
passed by members of the house.
REPORT BY KINGSLEY UCHEGBU
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