The Cross River State Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has warned against the collection of revenue by persons not authorized to do so on behalf of the state government.
This is the management of a popular transport company, Peace Mass Transit (PMT), has decried, harassment and intimidation from persons claiming to be from the state and local government authorities, to extort illegal taxes and levies from them.
A statement by the Executive Chairman of the IRS, Dr Ukam Edodi, obtained by The Nation in Calabar read, “The attention of the Internal Revenue Service has been drawn to the incessant harassment of members of the public by some Government Agencies and their associated service providers/agents with reference to revenue collection. This situation is even more worrisome that some service providing MDAs are now involved in revenue collection on behalf of the State Government.
“The IRS is by this announcement, warning all concerned touts and persons not authorized by law to generate or collect revenues on behalf of the state government to forthwith desist from this negative act.
“For the avoidance of doubt, only consultants engaged by IRS are authorized to facilitate revenue collection on behalf of government. All legitimate taxes, fines and levies are to be paid into government designated banks, using bank codes and not bank accounts. More importantly, no cash payment should be made to any government official or their agents. Members of the public are hereby advised to be guided accordingly.
“The security agencies are being contacted to enforce this directive and bring all culprits to justice.”
He urged that where in doubt, stakeholders should contact the office of the IRS in Calabar.
Also a letter by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of PMT, Dr Sam Maduka Onyishi, to the Commissioner of Transport titiled “Suspected Double Taxation, harassment of staff and imminent disruption of PMT operations”, decried harassment by various persons claiming to be revenue collectors, even when they have met all their tax obligaitons.
Onyishi said, “It is with regrets and extreme worry that we bring to your notice, persistent unfriendly activities of persons who have been parading themselves as state and local government representatives on levies and taxes in various locations in the state.
“These persons have continuously inundated us with requests for all manner of levies and taxes including those on which we have no arrears. The worrisome aspect is that manner of these demands is at best, menacing. Our staff on ground have been operating under unnecessary fear, intimidation and threat of harm.
“It is also worthy of note that the amounts of money quoted by these so-called agents are outrageous, out of tune with the times, illegal, and crucially, out of reach of our company. In reality also, most of these bills as presented and designated are at best, nebulous and inexplicable. It would be hard for even your exalted office to find justification for some of them.
‘Some, in our view, are mere duplication of others, while it sometimes becomes unclear which levies and /or taxes are the exclusive preserve of the state or local government authorities.
‘May we point out to you Sir, that one sure implication of activities of these people whom we refrain from calling touts, is disruption of our business and consequently, damage of our investment. We stand to be proved wrong Sir, but we have genuine fears that there are underhand scheming by some persons with interests in the transport sector, to marginalize our company out of Calabar and other cities of Cross River State where we have presence, ostensibly, to achieve some form of monopoly.
“Monopoly in transport, as in anywhere else, would not be for the best of Cross River State, and would not be the best way to reward a company like Peace Mass Transit Limited, which has over the years, contributed in no small measure to the economic wellbeing of this state as a good corporate citizen. What businesses require is government support, and not participation or suffocation.
“Honourable Commissioner Sir, we consider ourselves a major stakeholder in the economy of this beautiful state demonstrated through diligent fulfillment of our legitimate obligations, but the on-going evident cacophony in the collection of these levies and taxes baffle and confuse us to no end.
“Kindly save the transport business in Cross River State by streamlining and downsizing official statutory payments to ensure sustenance of the sector.”
