By MUHAMMAD NUR TIJANI

The Kano Internal Revenue Service (KIRS) has inaugurated the Single Interstate Road Tax Sticker (SIRTS) and the Single Haulage Fee (SHF), to check multiple taxation of motorists.

Dr Zaid Abubakar, the Executive Chairman of the Service, said this during the unveiling of the stickers on Saturday in Kano.

He said the initiative was part of measures introduced by the Joint Tax Board (JTB), to check multiple taxation and improve ease of doing business in the transportation sector.

According to him, the single haulage fee will to end illegal tax collection and extortion on the roads as well as block revenue leakages.

“Today, we flagged off the harmonised collection scheme sticker which consist of interstate road tax sticker and single haulage fee.

“It will reduce multiple taxes collected from motorists on the highways and generate revenue for the state government.

“People are always complaining in the highway that they are forced to pay a high amount of money in the name of road taxes.

“So, JTB decided to come up with the interstate sticker to avoid that multiple taxation.

“Now, more than 20 states of the federation have joined the system,” he said.

Earlier, Ibrahim Jibril, the Commissioner for Finance, said the unified tax system would curb harassment of transport operators on the roads by different unions.

Jibril said the measure would also promote ease of doing business in the state and the country at large. (NAN)