By Festus Ahon

ASABA—Delta State Government says it will flag off the collection of N1,000 tax from all informal sectors in the state on April 24, 2017 as part of efforts to boost its revenue base.

Gov Ifeanyi Okowa

The informal sector, according to the state government, include National Association of Professional Carpenters, National Union of Road Transport Workers, National Automobile Technician Association, Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, All Farmers Association of Nigeria and Nigeria Tillers Association among others in the state.

Making the disclosure during an interactive session with journalists in Asaba, the state Commissioner for Finance, Olorogun David Edevbie, said the state government had identified associations and unions as pivotal to generation of revenue from the informal sector.

Edevbie, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Cornelius Semiteje, decried the dwindling revenue to the state and espoused the need to look inwards in order to actualize the prosperity for all Deltans promised by the state government.

According to him, the state government will work directly with the leadership of the various groups in a bid “to get their members’ buy-in which will eventually generate a multiplier effect in tax collections in the near medium to long term.

“In addition to tax officers visiting the various associations, all offices of the Board of Internal Revenue will have a desk and representatives to handle registrations and all enquiries.”