The Zamfara State Internal Revenue Service (ZSIRS) has warned tenement rate payers not to pay their rates to the local government councils anymore, as only the board is in charge of collecting the rates in the state.
This was disclosed by the Executive Chairperson of the Service, Hajiya Rakiya Ahmed Dodo, during her Zamfara Radio weekly program, “Da Ruwan Ciki.”
Hajiya Dodo, who was represented by the Director of Information and Intelligence Gathering of the Service, Alhaji Hadi Bawa Gusau, said the call became imperative considering the fact that Zamfara State is the only state among the states of the federation that collects the lowest revenue within its area of authority.
The Executive Chairperson further stated that eligible tenement rate payers are advised to support and cooperate with the Internal Revenue Service and comply with the directive to move the state forward in terms of revenue generation.
She described tenement rate as a tax that affects all commercial activities, which include business premises like filling stations, banks, plazas, bakeries, block industries, oil mills, rented houses, companies, among others.
In his contribution, an expert and official from the Zamfara State Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Mas’ud Wada, explained the significance of mandating the State Internal Revenue Service with the responsibility of tenement rate collection, thereby relieving local government councils from tax collection.
He said that it is the right of the State Internal Revenue Service (ZSIRS) to carry out the job and that the action will yield fruitful results.
Wada added that tenement rates, when remitted to the government’s coffers, will enable it to execute developmental projects in both local government areas and the state at large.
Zamfara: ZSIRS stops LG councils from collection of tenement rate