As a means to mop up revenue, and ensure no Local Government, Parastatal or Establishment withholds tax belonging to the state,Abia State government has set up a five man Committee on the assessment of remittance of Pay As You Earn(PAYE) and withholding tax for Local Government councils in the state and Parastatals receiving subvention from the state government.
The Committee is to be chaired by Prince F.C Udensi while Mrs Joy Nwanju is to serve as Secretary.
Other members of the Committee are, Mr. Okezie Ugboaja,Mrs Chioma Origara and Mr Ndubuisi Agoh.
Inuagurating the Committee at Government House Umuahia, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu while noting that Local Government councils, Parastatals and Establishments are supposed to remit PAYE monies to the state,said government can no longer fold it’s arms and watch such revenue waste.
In his words: “People can no longer be allowed to continue to claim that government is owing them when they are the ones withholding revenue due to the government”.
The Governor, represented by his Chief of Staff,Dr ACB Agbazuere, charged the committee members to discharge their duty conscientiously,stressing that they were chosen based on the confidence reposed on them by the state government.
He gave the terms of reference of the committee to include; reviewing of the implementation of PAYE and withholding tax policy in the local government administration of Abia State, to ascertain the remittance of PAYE and withholding tax by all the local government Councils to the board of revenue from January 2019 till date, and recommend a process which will ensure regular remittance of PAYE and withholding tax by all the local government areas and Parastatals.
The committee is also expected to access the level of compliance of tax remittance by all institutions recieving subventions from the state government, these include ABSUTH, HMB, ASUBEB, ASOPADEC, ABIA POLY, ABSU as well as design a framework for the sustainability in the collection of the PAYE and withholding tax to the board of internal revenue among others.
The Committee has three weeks to submit it’s report.
Responding on behalf of the committee members,the Chairman,Prince F.C Udensi while thanking the governor for finding them worthy to carry out the assignment,assured that they would do the needful to realize the purpose of the assignment.
He lauded the state government for coming up with the idea to boost the revenue base of the state especially following the current realities on inflow of revenue.
