BENIN CITY – A tripartite meeting between the Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) Edo State Ministry of Transport, Federal Road Safety Commission and the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) has been held in Benin City.
The meeting which took place at the Corporate headquarters of the EIRS in Benin City was aimed at reviewing the operational activities of stakeholders in the one-stop-shop of the motor licensing and administration aspect of the revenue generation in Edo State.
Speaking during the meeting, the Executive Chairman, EIRS, Chief (Sir) Oseni Elamah said the meeting became necessary because of the need to have adequate information/data base of road users and capture them in a central portal where the EIRS could have legal access to them interms of those qualified to ply the road and their locations.
He said though the FRSC was mandated to issuing number plates, including other relevant documents that would enable road users to ply the road, there was need for the data base of such information to be captured in a central portal.
Chief Elamah said in as much as the EIRS is committed towards assisting the FRSC in ensuring the security of lives and property on the highway, it is expected that the commission also assist the revenue agency interms of enhancing/strengthening the revenue system of the state by making available adequate information of those who have registered for the number plates/drivers licenses in the state for the EIRS to access and discharge its mandate effectively.
He said the lack of access to those information by both the EIRS and the State Ministry of Transport has not enhanced the objectives of the central portal.
The EIRS maintained that the idea was muted out of the need to block all leakage and eliminate touting which was part of reforms being carried by the State Internal Revenue Service.
He also pointed out that the EIRS was responsible to collecting road taxes through the issuance of vehicle particular/drivers license at the various licensing offices across the state.
He said the tripartite meeting provides a platform that would ensure access to the data base of drivers license and number plates registered in the state.
Chief Elamah stated further that information sharing amongst members of the Joint Tax Board (JTB) via the implementation of the Tax Identification Number (TIN) which is now the basic requirement for any business/financial transaction across the country is still in force.
He sued for the need to strengthen the existing collaboration amongst members in view of ensuring good service delivery to taxpayers premised on transparency with a view to making Edo State a role model for tax administration in the country.
He further re-emphasized the ban on the sales of emblem and stickers to motorists across the state, just as he re-echoed the introduction of the new national/consolidated emblem for registered vehicles in the country.
This, he said, will help to eliminate multiple taxation on the highways, maintaining that the issuance of TIN is free.
“No local government authority, MDAs drivers union and motor parks have the right to issue any sticker. The national emblem/stickers is like a tax clearance certificate issued to any vehicle that has been duly registered on a yearly basis,” stated the EIRS boss.

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