BENIN CITY – The Kano State Government has expressed satisfaction over the modern reforms carried out at the Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS).

The remark was made during a visit by delegates of Kano State, comprising of the Executive Chairman and officials of Kano State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), Local Government Chairmen amongst others, led by the Kano State Commissioner for Finance, Prof. Kabiru Isa Dandago.

The processes of the laudable reforms in the EIRS were commends with particular reference to the land use charge X-rayed during an interactive session with a view to building a viable/formidable blue print that would help the Kano Government to enhance its tax administration.

The Commissioner for Finance, said they were on the visit to exchange ideas and brainstorm on issues relating to the Land Use Charge.

Dandago said that Edo and its Lagos State Counterpart had been able to harmonize the Land Used Charge in their various State, hence, the visit geared towards seeking ideas relating to the harmonization of the Land Use Charge.

The Executive Chairman, Kano State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS), Sani stated that the visit was informed by the need to rub minds with a view to seeking ideas on how the KIRS could harness  its internally generated Revenue (IGR).

He Said, “We are in Edo State(s), because they are advanced, and to see how we can harmonize and domesticate some of the tax laws.”

The Edo State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Arch. Francis Evbuomwan said the Promulgation of the Land Use Charge was geared towards consolidating all Land Use Charges, including the tenement rate, ground rate and property tax law in view of broadening the revenue generation base of the state.

Commissioner Evbuomwan who x-rayed the processes regarding the enactment of the land use charge, noted that assessment of tax was procedural, such that it must know the method before assessing the property to tax, putting into consideration the value of property in the case of commercial, residential or occupier.

He highlighted some of the challenges in the process to include data management, lack of investment inland information system/relevant technology by previous administration, dearth of relevant technical staff, enumeration checklist among others.

Honourable John Obazee, Executive Director Operation pointed out that the state government did not repeal the tenement rate, rather, it consolidated on it.

He acknowledged that since there must be disputes/conflicts in the course of assessment, an effective dispute resolution mechanism was put in place to oversee such issues.

The Chairman of Session/Acting Executive Chairman, EIRS, Barr. Emmanuel Usoh stressed the need to imbibe political will/honesty if the collection process must be driven, adding “they have seen the processes of the law as regards collection.”