The Borno State Government has introduced three new taxes in the transport and business sectors of the local economy. According to the State Government, the taxes are on consumption, entertainment and presumptive tax (CEPT) to raise more internally generated revenues (IGR). While announcing the adoption of new taxes Wednesday in Maiduguri, Borno State Board of Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), Mohammed Alkali disclosed that new technologies have been deployed in ‘revenue and tax collection’ to block leakages in the formal and informal sectors of economy. He noted that the harmonized revenue law has been passed by the State House of Assembly for 2021 implementation. He noted that the increase in IGR, could be used to finance developmental projects across the 27 councils. He therefore allayed the fears of citizens to increase taxes this year to finance government projects and programmes. “We’re not increasing any tax rates this year, as being speculated in some quarters,” he said, noting that the new tax policy is being enforced in the transport and business sectors. He said the state government is mindful of the economic stress citizens and businessmen are facing amidst the Boko Haram insurgency and the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Alkali urged the people to meet up their tax requirements in rebuilding the over a decade long insurgency ravaged state.
