The Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS) has launched a fresh phase of its taxpayer sensitisation campaign on the newly introduced tax laws, beginning with a stakeholders’ town hall meeting in Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The engagement, held in Okene on Friday, is the first in a series of meetings planned across the state’s three senatorial districts to educate taxpayers, promote voluntary compliance and improve public understanding of the new tax reforms.
The forum brought together business owners, taxpayers and other stakeholders, providing them with an opportunity to interact with revenue officials, seek clarification on the new tax regime and raise concerns affecting their businesses.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Chairman of KGIRS, Dr. Sule Salihu Enehe, represented by the Director of Legal Services, Barrister Abubakar-Aliyu Bala, described taxation as a key pillar of civilisation and national development.
He said the agency had aligned its operations with the provisions of the new tax laws, particularly reforms designed to eliminate multiple taxation, support small businesses and make tax administration more inclusive for low-income earners.
According to him, the revenue service remains committed to driving economic growth through a fair tax system built on the principle of “taxing prosperity, not poverty.”
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Internally Generated Revenue, Dr. Rahman Nasir Ichanyi, said the reforms were introduced to eliminate illegal revenue collection at roadblocks, reduce multiple taxation and promote greater transparency between taxpayers and the government.
He assured participants that all concerns raised during the meeting would be forwarded to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for consideration and appropriate action.
The Director of MDAs at KGIRS, Hassanat Enehezei Salawu, later presented the key provisions of the new tax laws and responded to questions from participants during an interactive session.
The meeting attracted representatives of several associations and taxpayers from different ethnic communities, including the Ebira, Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa groups.
During the discussion, stakeholders in the informal sector identified poor electricity supply and inadequate infrastructure as major challenges affecting business growth, productivity and revenue generation.
They appealed to the state government to improve power supply and public infrastructure, arguing that doing so would enable businesses to thrive and contribute more to the state’s internally generated revenue.
The sensitisation campaign is expected to continue in Kogi East and Kogi West as KGIRS intensifies efforts to promote awareness, encourage voluntary tax compliance and ensure effective implementation of the new tax laws across the state.
