BENIN CITY- Executive Chairman Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), Mr. Igbinidu Inneh yesterday appreciated the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) for identifying with it and for it’s plan to use the EIRS hall as the South/south zonal training ground for tax issues.

The Executive Chairman who played host to the President/Chairman of Council, CITN, Dame Gladys Olajumoke Simplice accompanied by District Society Chairmen from Edo and other states, on a five day working visit to the state, appreciated the tax body for the corporate award given to the EIRS and it’s secretary for diligent service delivery.

Inneh who revealed that there were presently, 315,000 taxpayers in the state, he urged the tax regulating body to help through the Joint Tax Board (JTB) at influencing government to invest in the process of tax collection as well as set up a periodic peer review scheme to know how each states tax authority is faring to help identify gaps for critical investment.

He stated that this was key against the backdrop that states were dynamic for they collected revenue either from the informal and service based sectors independently, which affected the mode of collection and method of enlisting taxpayers into the tax net.

Dame Olajumoke stated that the CITN Tax Academy was poised to use the EIRS Okundia Hall as a zonal tax training school due to the ambience and conducive learning atmosphere on ground at the EIRS head office.

Praising the Edo State Governor for giving direction to the issue of tax generation in the state, she stated, “The transformation I have seen in Benin is tremendous. I have looked at what the Edo State Internal Revenue is doing and I think it should be encouraged to do more. I am impressed.

” The governor has been fantastic. When a governor decides to use tax payers money to benefit them is the beginning of development. It shows the cooperation between government and the governed.

” When citizens see what money has been used on, they are willing to pay tax, this is due representation which eradicates embezzlement.”