Edo State government officials at a stakeholders’ meeting in Benin City, have lamented the continuous loss of revenue to Delta State through taxes.

This concern was raised on Tuesday during an interactive session organised by the Edo State Inland Revenue Service (EIRS), which had in attendance top government officials, heads, and representatives of ministries, departments, and agencies.

The Managing Director of the Edo State Traffic Management Agency, Stainless Ijeghede, said he had previously reported that oil company workers in Edo State were paying taxes to Delta State, but no action had been taken.

He said, “When I was working at that place, at the end of the month, I saw in my payslip that the tax was paid to Delta. What that means is that those people who work in Oben pay tax to the Delta State Government.”

Supporting Ijeghede’s position, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Samson Osagie, said many Deltans had settled in parts of Edo, and because Edo people often migrate to urban centres, those settlers now claim ownership of those areas, resulting in loss of revenue for Edo State.

He, however, noted that several meetings on the boundary issues had been held and adjustments made, adding that he expected the National Boundary Commission to visit the affected areas and ratify the boundaries to halt further revenue loss.

Osagie also revealed that his ministry was proposing a Revenue Court Law to establish specific courts to try tax offenders.

He said, “There is a need for a Revenue Court Law that will see to the setting up of a specific court to try offenders. The whole idea is to ensure that the entire gamut of our tax system is organised in a way that makes the enforcement and prosecution of tax offenders easy.

“As I speak, we are proposing a draft—using our neighbouring Delta State as a model—to establish Revenue Courts in Edo State so that all tax offenders can be tried swiftly and efficiently.”

Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Chairman of the EIRS, Bankole Balogun, said that although the agency was making progress in revenue collection, there was a need for all stakeholders to work together to boost the state’s revenue base.

He explained that a fundamental tool for achieving this was the Single Treasury Account, which the state had begun to institutionalise.

According to him, the STA would ensure a transparent flow of resources into a centralised account, thereby eliminating cash handling, reducing leakages, and improving accountability.

He added, “Going forward, we want to encourage that all revenue streams be remitted into the state’s IGR account with proper digital records and accountability.

“Remember that revenue is not an end in itself; it is a means to enable the state to provide better roads, stronger health systems, vibrant education, and safer communities.”

Balogun further stated that the state was awaiting the commencement of the new national tax law, which Edo would adopt once implemented.

Earlier this week, the Edo State Government said it was targeting N100 billion in tax revenue by the end of the year to provide amenities and improve citizens’ welfare.

Governor Monday Okpebholo also urged residents to pay their taxes to enable the government to construct roads, schools, and other infrastructure. (The PUNCH)