An entrepreneurship expert, My-ACE China, has called on the Rivers State government to establish a centralized tax system to ease payments and protect businesses from harassment.
He explained that creating a one-stop tax centre would help eliminate multiple taxation, as well as shield companies from fraudulent and aggressive revenue collectors. According to him, improving the tax system would encourage business growth and attract more investment into the state.
China, who heads Mayor of Housing Ltd, acknowledged ongoing efforts to reform tax collection in the state but stressed that more deliberate action is needed to fully sanitize the system.
He spoke during a breakfast session organised by BusinessDay Media Limited in collaboration with the Rivers Internal Revenue Service in Port Harcourt.
Highlighting key concerns of business owners, he pointed to the need for better protection of taxpayers, introduction of tax incentives, and harmonisation of tax processes to make compliance easier.
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China also noted improvements in tackling illegal tax collectors, including the introduction of emergency lines for reporting harassment and efforts to prosecute offenders. He added that these steps signal that the state is becoming more business-friendly.
He further advised authorities to adopt a unified tax platform similar to initiatives by the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency, where businesses can access all tax-related information in one place.
In addition, he recommended digitising land administration to reduce fraud and simplify property transactions, drawing parallels with reforms implemented in Abuja.
He commended the Executive Chairman of RIRS, Israel Egbunefu, for ongoing reforms, including moves to digitise tax collection and eliminate touting.
Other stakeholders at the event also backed digital solutions. A lecturer from Rivers State University, John Ohaka, noted that technology-driven tax systems could reduce the burden on businesses while increasing government revenue.
The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between the private sector and tax authorities to improve compliance and boost internally generated revenue in the state.
