The Bayelsa State House of Assembly has taken steps to tackle the menace of illegal revenue collection, denying the state huge financial benefits.
The House, led by the Speaker, Abraham Ingobere, convened a plenary session on Wednesday to address critical issues surrounding illegal revenue collection.
A motion sponsored and moved by Daniel Charles, representing Brass Constituency 1, on the “Urgent Call to Halt Unwholesome Activities of Dangerous Illegal Revenue Collection at Swali Waterside Jetty and Other Transport Terminals Across the State” was thoroughly discussed at the plenary.
Daniel stated that due to the absence of road networks connecting many local government areas such as Brass, Southern Ijaw, and Ekeremor to Yenagoa, the state capital, traders from those areas use the Swali Waterside Jetty for movement of goods to and fro Yenagoa.
According to him, despite significant revenue generated from the jetty, illegal collections by various non-state actors have put an increasing financial burden on traders and commuters using the jetty.
Speaking in favour of the motion, the Deputy Speaker, Michael Ogbere, representing Ekeremor III, regretted that because of the activities of the illegal revenue collectors, the prices of goods kept increasing, especially in the affected local government areas.
Ogbere stressed that the House of Assembly and relevant committees needed to up their game and follow through with their resolutions on the issue of illegal revenue collection.
Also contributing in favour of the motion, Ayonatiminyo Omubo of Brass Constituency II said the criminal extortion being carried out by illegal revenue collectors could adversely affect the state‘s internally generated revenue efforts as businessmen may consider diverting their goods to other routes.
In his contribution, George Oteigbanyo of Nembe Constituency I stated that the activities of the illegal revenue collectors cut across all jetties in the state and that the government owed these traders the responsibility to protect them in the course of their legitimate businesses.
In his contribution, Living Mitin of Ekeremor Constituency II said that such activities could create a situation of double taxation, which was not good for “our business environment. We must make sure that those saddled with the responsibility of checking these people are also being checked themselves.”
The house, therefore, passed a one-point resolution urging the “Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment, along with all relevant agencies, to take immediate action against non-state actors engaged in illegal revenue collection at Swali Jetty and other transport terminals within the state.”
