The dwindling crude oil revenue from the federation account has forced the Edo State government to expand the scope of its internally generated revenue (IGR) drive to the solid mineral sector.
BusinessDay reports that the state government had over the past several years resulted solely to the collection of taxes, fines and levies to boost its IGR base.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole made the disclosure while answering questions during the maiden edition of Correspondents Chapel of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists public lecture with the theme, “Dwindling Revenue from Crude Oil: The Challenges for State Governments.”
Oshiomhole noted that the decision to collect taxes from the sector was occasioned by the recent meeting the minister of solid mineral development, Kayode Fayemi had with state governors in Abuja.
The governor said the outcome of the meeting had vested authority and rights on state governments to implement and enforce the collection of mining, milling and quarry fees from operators in the solid minerals sector.
He posited that the gazette that vested the rights on the state governments was signed by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former minister of finance to former President Goodluck Jonathan and approved by the Joint Tax Board (JTB) in 2015, as the fees were expected to boost the IGR of the state.
According to Oshiomhole, the present government under President Muhammadu Buhari, I believe, has started on a good note and the minister of solid mineral has also started very well.
“The minister has invited the governors and had conversion with us. He told us clean and clear that the solid mineral is under the exclusive list, but the condition also says that the land is vested on the state government.
“You cannot explore our solid mineral if you do not have a certificate of occupancy. The right to get to that soil has to be given to you by the state government. So, on that I have already put our people on notice and very soon you will hear that we are in Akoko Edo and other parts of Edo North Senatorial District collecting taxes and levies from those carting away our precious solid minerals.
“They have to pay tax for it. In the past they just get the licence from the federal bureaucrats, they come to the state devastate the neighbourhood, cart away solid asset and leave us with aftermath of the exploration. So, with the new policy, we all and the state governor have been encouraged to ensure that these people exploiting our resources do not leaving us with the aftermath of their exploration,” he said.
IDRIS UMAR MOMOH
