CRIRS Solicits Assembly's Speedy Enactment Of Pending Tax Laws
By Our Reporter
The Acting Executive Chairman of Cross River Internal Revenue Service (CRIRS), Prince Edwin Okon, has made a passionate plea to the State House of Assembly to expedite action and speedily enact or pass into law all pending tax laws and regulations before the legislature.
The laws include, the Land Use Charge Law; Tourism Development Levy; Motor Vehicle Administration of Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency Law No. 2 (2015) and Road Infrastructure Maintenance Levy.
Prince Okon while speaking at the Assembly's Complex, Calabar, Thursday, during a courtesy visit to the Speaker, CRSHA, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ekom Ayambem, posited that for the Service to have the legal backing to access certain taxes and to bring tax evaders and defaulters to book, thereby increasing the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the State, it needed the collaboration of the Assembly.
CRIRS Acting Executive Chairman said the State Governor, Sen. Prince Bassey Otu, is determined to enhance the economy of Cross River State and would be needing a vibrant IGR profile to cater to salaries and other costs of running government while federal allocations can be used to initiate State capital projects, while adding that everyone has a role to play in assisting the government to block IGR loopholes.
Applauding the expected favourable outcome of the legislative action, Okon said it would spread the dividends of democracy to the people of Cross River.
Still speaking, CRIRS boss congratulated the Speaker and Legislators of the 10th Assembly and wished them God's grace to efficiently take Cross State to higher heights through people-oriented legislations.
Responding, the Speaker, Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ekom Ayambem, who hailed the entreaty as apt, gave the assurances of the Assembly to look into all the requests and do whatever it takes to up the State's IGR and make work easy for Cross River Internal Revenue Service.
He said the State House of Assembly and CRIRS are in tandem regarding taxation as just recently, a committee has been constituted to look into the tax related matters.
Rt. Hon. Ayambem lauded Governor Otu's decision to make revenue generation domiciled with the Service, saying it would make the Service prioritize government's targets before personal aggrandizement.
He also promised to meet with the Governor with regards to the confirmation of Prince Okon's appointment from the status of Acting to a substantive Executive Chairman as he has demonstrated the needed capacity to sustain His Excellency's revenue generation goals without fear or favour.
