Eleme Council To Introduce Automated Revenue System

The Ninth Legislative Assembly of Eleme Local Government in Rivers State has begun the process of enacting a bye-law that will institute an automated system for the collection tax and other revenues in the local government area.
At the public hearing organised by the assembly to review the Revenue Bye-law of the LGA, the Leader of the Legislative Assembly, Hon. Jima Chumu, said when enacted, the proposed Revenue Bye-law would meet up with modern revenue policies and realities for the growth and development of Eleme Local Government Area. When the law comes into effect, all revenues payable to the local government would be paid into the council’s accounts and no longer by cash payments.
Daniel said the public hearing was to enable members of the public and indeed stakeholders in the area to make their input into the proposed bye-law and bring their respective perspectives to bear on the proposed it.
The leader said the review of Eleme Local Government Revenue Bye-law was long overdue having been in place since 1996 when the local government was created. “It is important to know that Eleme Revenue By-Law is as old as Eleme LGA and no attempt whatsoever has been made to review it till date,” he said.
He said the proposed bye-law would not only bring the local government revenue generation system to terms with modern methods of collecting revenue, it would also boost the internally generated revenue of the local government, which he said was almost non-existent.
He said a lot of resources were needed to fund the huge social and infratsructure needs of the local government and the proposed law would be useful in that regard.
The Eleme Revenue Bye-law is an executive bill initiated by the Chairman of the local government, Chief Obarilomate Ollor.

After the content of the Bill was read out by the Chairman of the House Committee on Bills and Motions, Hon. Victor Goka, stakeholders present at the public hearing were invited to make their observations and contributions.
HRH Emmanuel Akobe, the Paramount Ruler of Eteo, observed that the bill did not provide incentives for indigenous businesses. He also urged the lawmakers to establish a complaints unit within the council where victims of abuses by revenue officials could report such abuses.
The representative of the Eleme Area Police Command urged the lawmakers to make revenue payment system tamper-proof to eliminate fraud and diversion.
HRH Oluka Koida, the Paramount Ruler of Agbonchia community, called for the reduction in the Levy for marriage certificate as a way of generally reducing the cost of marriage in the area.
The Secretary of Association of Nigeria Licenced Customs Agents, Chinedu Ikenga, and the Secretary of the Freight Forwarders Transport Association, said some of the items listed in the proposed bill were already being covered by the Constitution and revenue laws at the federal and state government and therefore amounted to double taxation.
They argued that overtaxing small businesses would not encourage business development and the attendant employment opportunities while observing that they were contending with bad road network in the area, which was taking huge toll on their businesses.
Chief Nwosu Emeka, the Onne Chapter Chairman of the National Association of Licensed Agents, noted that high taxes could cause inflation. Comrade Pascal Dike, the the Public Relations Officer of the association complained about the activities of community youths at Onne that were creating a hostile environment for business operations around the ports.
Mr. Santa Chukwu, who spoke for non-indigenous residents, called for the abolition of different tolls on commercial motorcycles for different wards in the local government area.
Proposed in the Bye-law is a revenue sharing formula that awards 60 percent of the collectible revenue to the revenue committees while the remaining 40 percent would be left for the council or the revenue consultants as approved by the local government chairman.