The Joint Tax Board has announced that it will soon begin the implementation of the policy, which will address illegal and multiple taxations on inter-state roads across the country.
The Executive Secretary of the board, Mrs. Obomeghie Nana-Aisha told journalists in Gombe, on the sideline of a sensitisation and engagement programme that the event was being held in collaboration with the Gombe State Internal Revenue Service.
She said the essence was to sensitise stakeholders in tax collection on Single Interstate Road Tax Sticker, SIRTS and Single Haulage Fee, SHF.
She said the essence of implementing the Single Interstate Road Tax Sticker and the Single Haulage Fee was to end illegal tax collection, and extortion on the highways, as well as block revenue leakages in the country.
The Executive Secretary of the Joint Tax Board, who was represented by Mr. Samson David, a senior Manager in the Board, explained that the initiative was already being implemented in 22 states of the federation.
Mr. David said the initiative would reduce incidences of double taxation through the sales of multiple stickers while enhancing the ease of doing business in the country.
“What the single interstate road sticker seems to achieve is remove all the roadblocks; across the nation, transporters face different kinds of roadblocks, taxes which is not good for us. In the implementation of ease of doing business, Nigeria ranks well and for us to implement that is to ensure that multiple taxes are removed on roadblocks in Nigeria. We have different kinds of unusual practices that are not in the law. This made JTB implement what the law has said,” said Mr. David.
Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman of the Gombe State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Salihu Baba-Alkali, said the initiative was a welcome development for the state because the state Revenue Service had engaged the Joint Tax Board and would critically study the initiative to ensure quick implementation for the benefit of the state.
“Once a payment is made, it takes you through to your destination. That is a welcome development by the truck drivers and owners. We are losing a lot of revenue in this space both for the stickers that have not been paid for by some drivers and also the haulage fee that are not being collected properly. We are going to ensure that this is going to be properly implemented and we are sure that we going to get more revenue for the state government. We are eagerly awaiting the implementation; we want the revenue to be collected and given to Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State to continue his developmental projects,” Mr. Baba-Alkali said.
Speaking on behalf of his members, the Chairman, of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, Dry Cargo, Gombe Unit, Mr. Mohammed Mohammed, said the initiative would benefit transporters if properly implemented.
Mr. Mohammed said his members had over the years suffered double taxation through multiple issuances of stickers, but that the new policy would relieve them a lot if implemented.
He said his members often spent over N350,000 from Gombe to Calabar in Cross River State, just to settle the multiple checkpoint demands manned by security operatives and some miscreants.
“This N350,000 is just to settle security operatives and youths who also block roads as we transport maize, rice and beans to other parts of the country. This is not good for business and the agriculture sector. We use this opportunity to appeal to President Bola Tinubu to address this challenge as it will help bring down prices of transported agricultural produce,” Mr. Mohammed said.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, Dry Cargo, Gombe Unit appealed to President Bola Tinubu to address the challenge, because it would help bring down prices of transported agricultural produce.
Dominica Nwabufo
