We will deal with tax defaulters – Oyo government tells hoteliers, others

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The Oyo State government at the weekend declared that it has set up a machinery to deal with tax defaulters especially in the hospitality business.

Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism Mr. Toye Arulogun who made this declaration during a meeting of stakeholders in Tourism and Hospitality sector held at the ministry’s office in Ibadan, disclosed that the move was not meant to strangulate business activities but to ensure compliance with tax laws.

Arulogun while appealing to owners of businesses in the hospitality sector in the state to pay their dues and taxes to the government, emphasized that the government decided to set up the machinery in order to deal with tax defaulters.

He said “Government has set up a task force to go round operators in the hospitality industry statewide. This task force is comprised of all the stakeholders in the sector. We want people to pay their dues as government is driving the 2018 appropriation bill through internally generated revenue.

“We will not strangulate any business through the payment of their dues but rather provide the conducive, enabling and secured environment as well as the required infrastructure to make businesses thrive.”

He maintained that government’s tax net will catch all the defaulters and they will be dealt with according to the law, adding that government officials in conjunction with members of the hospitality sector and necessary stakeholders will soon embark on monitoring exercise to ensure compliance of tax payments.

Arulogun explained that the hospitality and tourism sector was one of the most vibrant in the state’s economy, noting that the government will not fold its hands and allow a huge chunk of its revenue to slip away.

He added that Government had rededicated its efforts in ensuring that its tax net accommodated all potential tax payers, stressing that the government will leave no stone unturned to explore the growing hospitality industry which has recorded an increased growth in size of 103% since the inception of Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s administration.

President of Hoteliers Association of Oyo State, Chief Jerome Adoroh, while speaking, appealed to all hospitality businesses to register with the state government, hoteliers association as well as relevant bodies, pledging that the association would support the state government in its IGR drive in the hospitality sector.

Adoroh said “we need to support the present administration in the state. Governor Ajimobi is turning around the State and more businesses are springing up. Go to Ologuneru, New Ife Road, Basorun-Akobo among others, you will see the government’s presence.

“However, I wish to appeal to the governor to pay compensation to property owners that are affected by the ongoing infrastructural development.

“Governor Ajimobi is rebuilding Oyo State and people that are criticizing him now will thank him later. He has modernized Oyo State. Government should set up a task force comprising government officials, hoteliers, tourist operators, canteen owners among other to generate revenue from the hospitality sector”.

He noted that every individual had a responsibility towards government, stressing that it should be the responsibility of all and sundry to contribute to the development of Oyo State.

At the meeting were representatives of government, Hoteliers Association of Oyo State, National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Oyo State, Night Club Owners in Oyo State and Canteen Owners Association of Oyo State.



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