TRIS calls for tax harmonisation in Taraba

The Chairman of the Taraba Internal Revenue Service (TIRS), Retired General Jeremiah Aliyu Faransa, has announced his readiness to collaborate with the Tax Justice Network (TJN) to crack down on unauthorised individuals posing as official tax collectors in Taraba State.

Declaring that such activities will no longer be tolerated, he called for vigilance among the public, urging them to report impostors who disrupt legitimate tax practices and create confusion in the business community.

Faransa made the declaration on Friday in Jalingo during an advocacy visit by the Taraba Tax Justice and Governance Platform, where he addressed key stakeholders, including board members and directors from the Ministry.

He reaffirmed his commitment to fostering transparency and accountability in tax collection, a move he believes will create a more secure and equitable financial environment in the state.

Also speaking, the team lead of the Tax Justice and Governance Platform, Fidelis Nashuka, outlined the group’s mission to streamline tax practices and address long-standing grievances from taxpayers, particularly businesswomen.

Presenting a comprehensive policy brief, Nashuka emphasized the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to achieve effective tax harmonization.

Calling for all hands to be on deck in order to address revenue leakages, he highlighted ongoing efforts to provide a unified tax framework to reduce the burden on businesses.

The Network, as made known by him, “has been engaging stakeholders in Taraba State to advocate for tax harmonization to eliminate multiple taxations and block all the loopholes of revenue leakages in the state so that the burden of tax will be reduced.”

The ongoing move, which according to him, is geared at renewing focus on transparency and accountability, is expected to pave the way for a more organized and fair tax system in Taraba.

It would be recalled that the advocacy team has previously engaged with other key stakeholders, including the leadership of the state branch of the Association of Local Governments in Nigeria (ALGON), the Bureau for Local Government, Traditional, and Chieftaincy Affairs, among others.