The Gombe State Internal Revenue Service has uncapped plans to commence the electronic collection of levies from tricycle and motorcycle operators in the state.
The Chairman, GIRS, Abubakar Tata, while speaking during a town hall meeting held with joint unions and security agencies on Monday, said the initiative would end the collection on the road as previously done by the associations.
According to him, about 3000 people will be employed to function as task force and help harmonise the process of collecting daily levies electronically.
Tata bemoaned the situation where sellers of motorcycles and tricycles acted as racketeers, registering newly-purchased bikes without due recourse to the service and other relevant organisations.
He said, “Today’s programme is about a town hall meeting that is meant to discuss issues of security threat to Gombe State and also to ensure that all vehicles in the state are registered with the trade union and the right government institutions.
“They should stop registering their vehicles from the vendor. We discovered that they buy their ‘Keke’ or motorcycle and, in the same place that they bought it, they give you plate number and vehicle papers, which is completely wrong.
“This means what has been bought was not registered with Internal Revenue Service and when they get lost, there is no way you can trace them.
“So, we are trying to unify everything so that they won’t be on the road causing accidents before they collect union dues. Dues can be collected in an electronic way. The reason why we are digitalising the process.
“With this, we are going to create over 3,000 jobs. Instead of stopping people on the road collecting the money, the task force will be scanning the motorcycles and if they discover that you have not been paying, you will be made to pay; and when you have outstanding, it will show in your record.”
While lamenting the challenges posed by the unions in collecting levies on the road, Tata noted that the government was empowered to collect such levies following the overwhelming responsibilities.
“Over time, you must have seen how they ‘Okada’ union collecting dues on the road. However, Gombe Internal Revenue Service does not go to the road to collect revenue but we intend to introduce it all the collection is being done union and association of motorcycle and tricycle.
“The law has empowered the service that anyone using the road should pay road maintenance levy. The service has not been collecting this every day. Unfortunately, they don’t construct roads or provide any item in the hospital,” he said.
The Chairman, Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria, Ibrahim Manu, stated that the union would give the needed support to the government.
“My members will do everything within our power to ensure government succeeds,” Manu explained.
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