Wike takes full charge of revenue drive in Rivers state
Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State has now taken charge of revenue drive in the state in order to block financial leakages which has been militating against attainment of the desired revenue generation.
The governor revealed this during a protracted meeting with hotel owners in the state at the Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday. He said that his decision to personally drive revenue generation was borne out of the fact that his administration was determined to sustain the mass execution of projects across the state.
He said: “I am now fully in charge of revenue drive in the state. The aim is to make the environment conducive for businesses to thrive.”
The governor explained that under the current economic climate, the state government cannot continue to rely on the Federation Account, hence the need to enhance revenue generation, pointing out that some hotel owners also connived with some agents of the State Government to commit revenue fraud.
Governor Wike informed that Local Government Areas in the state could only collect tenement rate, adding that other levies would be harmonized and paid to the state government in a single account.
“There will be no duplicity of levies. We cannot collect levies and the local government areas also collect the same levies,” the governor said, as he warned the hotel owners against providing hideouts for kidnappers. He also said that with the cooperation of the hotel owners, crime would be reduced.
The meeting which attracted hotel owners from across the state was attended by Local Government Caretaker Committee Chairmen. The hotel owners applauded the initiative of Governor Wike, pledging their support for the move to streamline all taxes in the state.
