The Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, KWIRS, has solicited the support of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in dealing with the increasing rate of tax evasion in the State.
The Executive Chairman, KWIRS, Shade Omoniyi, made the call on Thursday when she led the management staff of the Service on a working visit to the new Zonal Head, Ilorin Office of the EFCC, Usman Muktar.
“We are here to seek your support in tackling the menace of tax evasion in the State. We need the support of relevant government agencies like EFCC to curb tax evasion in the public and private sectors within the State,’‘ he said.
The KWIRS boss decried the rate of tax evasion within the State describing it as criminal noting that government cannot properly provide the needed infrastructure when citizens and corporate organisations refuse to pay tax.
“We look forward to strengthen our relationship with EFCC in the area of gathering intelligence about tax payers and enforcement of relevant laws”, the KWIRS boss added.
In his remark, the EFCC Zonal boss, Usman Muktar expressed his appreciation over the visit, promising that ”the Commission is ever ready to lend support to any agency of government, including KWIRS in achieving its mandate.”
Muktar used the occasion to inform his guest of the ongoing process by the Commission to have a Tax Fraud Desk created in the Zone.
He said; “when created, the Tax Fraud Desk in conjunction with the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering, SCUML, would greatly help in dealing with issues of corruption, tax evasion, illicit financial flows and money laundering within the State.
The KWIRS boss was accompanied on the visit by Omolara Ojulari, Director Accounts and Finance; Olatunji Balogun, Director Administration and Operation; Shehu Abdullahi, Director Legal and Compliance and Titilayo Ogunwale, Head, Corporate Affairs.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
