The Lagos State government yesterday directed all its revenue agencies to commence, with immediate effect, enforcement of payment by all tax defaulters.
The state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Steve Ayorinde, in a statement, lamented that many residents were not fulfilling their civic obligation of paying their taxes and that the prevailing situation would adversely affect government’s infrastructural renewal drive currently ongoing across the state.
Ayorinde said that government had, therefore, concluded plans to go all out to enforce its tax laws in order to bring more people working or living in Lagos into the tax net.
The state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, had during a recent forum expressed concern that only about 600,000 Lagos residents were up-to-date in paying their taxes, a situation he described as “not helpful” to scale up provision of infrastructure and other amenities for the people.
Ayorinde said the government remained committed to completing all ongoing projects on schedule, but that it was largely dependent on prompt payment of taxes by residents in the state.
He listed some of the major ongoing projects to include the Oshodi transport interchange, reconstruction of the Oshodi International Airport Road, network of roads in Epe to link Ijebu Ode and construction of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes from Abule Egba to Oshodi, as well as the construction of the Pen Cinema flyover.
He also said the government has also commenced the construction of over 20 road networks within the boundaries of Lagos and Ogun states to ease movement and enhance business activities between the two states.
The link roads include the 6.4km Ikola road with Odo Obasanjo bridge (from Ipaja/Command to Ilo river); the 1.75km Ogunseye road (from Ajasa/Command to Ikola road); the 1.5km Oko filling road (from AIT to Ilo river); the 620m Osenatu Ilo road (from Ibari road to Ilo river); the 3.1km Amikanle road (from AIT to Ogunseye road); the 1.9km Aina Aladi road (from AIT to Ilo river) and the 1.4km Aiyetoro Road with a bridge (from New Market/Ishefun road intersection to Ilo river).
“These projects have already begun in earnest. The construction of the 181 roads earmarked across the 57 local councils, which is now an annual ritual of this government, will commence anytime soon, with many more too numerous to mention.
“The will and commitment of the Gov Ambode-led administration is to ensure that all these projects are completed before 2019. But the possibility of achieving such will require taxable citizens of the state who have not been paying their taxes to start doing so.
“That is the oil that keeps the engine and wheels of government moving smoothly. But when there are no resources, these laudable projects will be stalled. No government in the world can achieve its set objectives without funds, and these funds are available largely from what residents pay as taxes. It is, therefore, expedient that taxes should be paid correctly as at when due,” he said.
