Plateau Govt Urges Residents to Pay Taxes

Plateau government, on Monday, enjoined residents to pay their taxes regularly so that the government can embark on projects to make life more comfortable for them.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang gave the advice in Jos during a summit on the administration of property and land-related taxes organised by the State’s Internal Revenue Service (PSIRS).

Mr Mutfwang, who was represented by the secretary to the state government, Samuel Jatau, called on residents and workers to ensure the payment of their taxes.

“There is no magic that can be performed; it is the taxes that we pay that will be used to transform the state.

“Just like you heard here, our IGR has moved up 96 per cent since we came in two years ago; there’s progress, but we still need to do a lot.

“I, therefore, call on Plateau people to pay their taxes, register their lands and follow the rules of the land,” he said.

Earlier, Jim Wayas, the PSIRS chairman, emphasised the need for synergy among government agencies in the state.

He said that the essence of the gathering was to create a clear-cut path to avoid overlapping issues among agencies and to foster collaboration rather than competition among the MDAs.

“We gathered here today to look at how we can coordinate property taxes properly and bring harmonisation among agencies.

“The summit is essentially geared towards harnessing land resources for the greater good of the state,” he said.

He noted that there were a lot of overlapping issues amongst government agencies in the state.

“We are going to have a clear-cut direction whereby taxes that belong to the local government go to the local government, so also those of others.

“So, it’s a win-win situation for the state, because it is collaborative efforts and not a competition for the collective good of the State, ” he said.

Some heads of agencies present at the event included Hart Bankat, general manager, Jos Metropolitan Development Board; Peter Nyam-Gai, commissioner for lands and survey; and Philemon Daffi, attorney-general and commissioner for justice.

(NAN)