The All Progressives Congress senator representing Ondo North District, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice, has advised the Ondo State Government to give its new taxation policy in the state a human face in the interest of the citizenry.
Boroffice, who was reacting to the disagreement between the state government and commercial motorcycle operators over the payment of N20, 000 per head as tax, warned that if the issue is not amicably resolved, it could cripple the economy of the state.
The senator spoke through his media aide, Kayode Adeniyi on Saturday.
According to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Science and Technology, taxation is adopted to drive the economy, redistribute wealth and not to run people out of business.
He said, “gainfully-employed people, whether civil servants or self-employed, in Ondo State are duty-bound to pay taxes as the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) should be improved upon. In fact, the few good steps taken by the government in this regard are belated; however, extortion of impoverished citizens by the imposition of oppressive pressure through burdensome tax regime is not an option.
“Therefore, the present administration in Ondo State should exercise caution and restraint. If it is keen on improving revenue generation, the government should devise strategy to attract new persons to pay taxes”.
The statement added that tax net should be diversified to cover many persons in the informal sector, whilst government supports the unemployed populace to create Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs).
Boroffice, who is eyeing the Ondo Government House later in the year, therefore, urged Governor Olusegun Mimiko to create a platform for amiable resolution of the contentious issues on taxation for the benefits of both parties, while the interest of Ondo State is being sustained.
