….Terminates Tax Agents Contracts, directs staff to take charge

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The Benue Internal Revenue Service, BIRS, has directed immediate dismantling of illegal road blocks and check points on high ways across the state even as it announced the termination of the contracts of all its revenue collecting agents with immediate effect.

The affected tax agents were directed to recall all of their workers and stop further operation from August 3, 2018.

Acting Executive Chairman of BIRS, Mr. Terzungwe Atser who through his Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) Dennis Mernyi gave the directive Friday in Makurdi also directed staff of the Board to resume collection of revenue for the state government.

The decision to terminate the contracts according to the Mr. Atser “is to contain illegalities and anomalies that have threatened the smooth operations of the Board.

“Hence, the task of revenue collection has been returned to the staff of BIRS to properly checkmate the lawlessness identified with revenue collectors.”

To ensure effective compliance to the new order, the Chairman directed all Heads of Zonal and Area officers of the Board to mobilise their workers to commence revenue collection immediately.

Recall that BIRS had last week also crashed the tariff on all taxable items in the state in the spirit of the reforms being introduced by the new chairman of the Board.