LOCAL INVESTOR SANK N3.5BN FOR TOBACCO FARMING IN LANGTANG NORTH -Hon. ARLAT

LOCAL INVESTOR SANK N3.5BN FOR TOBACCO FARMING IN LANGTANG NORTH -Hon. ARLAT

 

The Chairman Plateau State Internal Revenue Service(PSIRS) Hon. Dashe Arlat Dasogot, has revealed that an individual has invested N3.5bn in Tabocca Farming somewhere around Langtang North LGA of Plateau State and there are beneficiaries from that Investment as well as off takers. 

Hon. Dasogot made the statement when the Plateau Publishers Association ( PPA ) paid him a courtesy call to the focused Executive Chairman of the Service in his office,along Beach Road Jos on Friday 22nd April , 2022 to introduce the newly elected officials of the PPA, who are determined to change the face of the publishing on the Plateau.

Furthermore, the Award Winning Executive Chairman of PSIRS told the Publishers that if the salary of workers are not paid, shopowners, farmers and traders will find it difficult to have a high rate of turnover and families may go hungry, thus ,payment of salaries is critical investment which drives the economy of the state positively. 

The PSIRS Chairman, in responding to a question on what foreign investment has the State Government brought from its numerous travels abroad to woo investors.

Arlat Dasogot explained that Investment within the sense of it,is when people see potentials, they would want to put in their investments in the state.

The Chairman said investments in the state must not only come from foreign land but can be within, just like companies that were supported by the Federal Ministry of Finance , Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the World Bank and Plateau State Small and Medium Development Agency ( PLASMIDA ) are deeply involved in empowering different types of businesses in the state , thus,investments must not only one from foreign lands as most partners have their links  locally.

The Executive Chairman of PSIRS described the PPA as a very friendly association whom he will add up to the tax payers list . 

He said the activities of the Service will not be complete without PPA and the media telling the world of what he is doing for the benefit of the general public. 

Hon. Arlat  also stated that the board under his rightful watch will train the PPA members on Tax Collection and Tax Reportage to improve their writing skills on IGR to strengthen the partnership between the PSIRS and the PPA.

Speaking on the issue of the "Park and Pay" that was put on hold since last year to the end of March,2022 the Executive Chairman of the PSIRS said they have started using volunteers to collect the Revenue in Terminus, Ahmadu Bello Way, Beach Road, Rwang Pam Street and surrounding streets of Jos Township with the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB).

He said the PSIRS collects all Revenue in the state including the 17 Local Government Areas, MDAs,Abattoir,Karl Market within the Agric subsector. 

He continued that the next phase of the collection of the Park and Pay is done by volunteers wearing reflective jackets, who were thoroughly screened with their passports and vital information taken. He said if they are found wanting, their services will be withdrawn. 

Speaking on opening up more areas of tax collection, Dashe Arlat Dasogot said he will be meeting the Ministry of Transport to talk about proof of ownership, testing and licensing generally to generate more revenue for the state. 

Talking about the PPA helping out, Dasogot said generally, anything you do and there is nobody to amplify it or mirror it,people will not know and that is why you are welcomed for a partnership with PSIRS. 

He reasoned that with your names and phone numbers of those we should be dealing with through the PSIRS communication team  we will keep watch and things will be done to perfect our smooth working relationship within the budget. 

The Chairman posited that the PPA should make arrangements with the PSIRS to pass across information to the general public the activities of the Service at a minimal cost as the  service has to be prudent with realistic budget, but can not do without communication. 

On the question posed by the Chairman of the PPA on the sponsorship on the British-America flyover bridge and roads,the Executive Chairman of the PSIRS said in March, 2022 the PSIRS made N1.2bn Revenue which is about 60% of the monthly targeted collections of N2bn due to unforeseen circumstances like crisis within the state, poor income from the Tourism subsector as hoteliers complain of lack of customers as well as some human happenstances.

Dasogot confirmed that the British-America project is riding on the PSIRS,thus,the media must convince members of the general public to pay their taxes, as it is put into appropriate use for the provision of social services.

The firm and visionary Executive Chairman insists that if you are doing business in Jos and Plateau State in general,you must pay your tax,even if it is one naira.

He narrated the story of how he was talking to some scrap dealers in Jos ,who said they towed the damaged vehicles from Gombe and brought them for cutting in Jos, thus ,they will not pay any taxes to the PSIRS , but he insisted that since they brought the vehicles to Jos for cutting , they must pay. Similarly , he said , most of the repairs of the big trucks in Nigeria are done in Jos, around NEPA Junction along Jengre Road because the best mechanics are in Jos but the mechanics who are making money from the repairs don't want to pay taxes , thus , PPA and the media must stand with the PSIRS and tell the people that tax payment is not an alternative , everyone that is taxable must have to pay tax.

He said , it is from the little that the Government collects that it pays for the British-America flyover bridge and its adjoining roads. 

Speaking further, Dasogot said it may interest you to know that 98% of landowners and property owners do not pay ground rent because most of them did not register their properties with the Ministry of Lands,Survey and Town Planning. Only 2% of  property owners in Plateau State have their certificate of  occupancy. 

Dasogot explained that most people in Plateau State don't know that with their C of  O of their vast land and  properties, they can use the  C of O as collateral to obtain loan from the bank and other financial institutions. He thus advised the people of Plateau to make use of the rebate made by the compassionate Executive Governor of Plateau State, Rt.Hon Barr Dr Simon Bako Lalong KSGG and the Ministry of Land, Survey and Town Planning to quickly rush and get their properties registered and C of O gotten for the  purpose of security and other pecuniary benefits. 

It is in the  light of the above that the chief tax collector is starting a pilot scheme on property registration in the five LGAs of Plateau State, beginning with Jos North, Jos South, and three others in the central and southern zones.He said as people register properties, more taxes will be collected and better standard of living will be given to the people of Plateau State. 

The Chairman also pointed out that because the PSIRS is not restricted to the collection of taxes but are also mandated to  collect  fines,fees and levies, they are breaking new grounds for the collection and payment of haulage fees to increase the revenue for conveying goods on roads constructed by the State Government as Pay As You  Earn (PAYEE) is not the issue but people insuring their properties, land,vehicles etc are taxed.

Answering the question on meeting budgetary projections on revenue generation and thinking outside the box by PSIRS from PAYEE to other sources,the position of the Bureau of Statistics that in the last three years, there has been no foreign investment on the Plateau and what advice the PSIRS has for an increased revenue  by Mr Godfrey Sunwar, Publisher of the Grassroots Watch Magazine and the PPA Secretary, Hon Arlat Dashe Dasogot posited that Investment must not only come from foreign land as it could be locally, though with foreign links Dasogot said Plateau is doing fine with local investment, Agricultural operation ensure we are well fed,farmers are boosting the economy through their activities of even exporting potatoes, flowers and fruits.

He said a lot of things are going on  in the  Agric and mining sub sectors as the state government has registered a mining company to do the good business in mining. 

Dasogot pointed out that if you invest, it is like planting a tree, the tree grows roots, which goes down before springing up and then becoming a fruitful tree that will benefit the planter and mankind, thus, we are hoping that most of the activities happening now will mature at the right time where the Plateau person and the Plateau environment will enjoy the investment. 

In conclusion the friendly and focused Executive Chairman of the PSIRS said the Rescue Administration of Governor Simon Bako Lalong is trying to conclude its tenure in a very good and smooth stead in the payment of salary, good education and security. 

On the set target, Dasogot said they are seeing potentials, though there are hitches, because there are things we can not control. For instance, he said, you can not enforce tax when there are unfortunate killing like in Kanam, Bassa, Riyom and B/Ladi.

Similarly, he continued,if there are terrible things, you can not disturb tax payers to pay taxes but console or condole with them until the time is right, so as not to be seen as being insensitive. 

In all, the chairman hinted that the state government is doing very well at its best despite the mearge resources available via tax collection.

The PPA congratulated Hon Arlat Dashe Dasogot and the PSIRS for being recognized as the best Government organization in Plateau State for the use of Social Media by the awards committee on Sunday 17th April, 2022.

In a vote of thanks, Mrs Deborah Kesowo, Director of Media and Communications of PSIRS and Mr Wulishak Dafaan, Head of Unit of Media and Communication appreciated the PPA for coming on the courtesy call and media parley to the Executive Chairman of PSIRS and promised a reboost working relationship.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of PPA and leader of the delegation, Chief Amb Nanyah Andrew Daman (JP) Jarumin Jat and the Group Managing Editor of the NewsGate Magazine thanked God almighty for the opportunity to celebrate Easter in good health and for the kind approval for the valuable interaction to the PSIRS, PPA and members of the general public.

Daman said the PPA is an association of twenty fire visionary and strategic member's,who are both print and online publishers, working day and night to perform their Constitutional responsibilities of educating, informing and entertaining members of the general public as members of the fourth estate of the realm professionally and ethically.

The award winning Chairman of the PPA who is also nicknamed, the mentor of mentors in the publishing industry in Plateau State, informed the Executive Chairman of PSIRS and his hardworking team that PPA is requesting for partnership to advertise and report publications and blogs at moderate cost in an inflated economy.

The NewsGate Magazine's Group Managing Editor hinted that as taxpayers from deductions from payments of advertising, they are also requesting for retainership with PSIRS as well as requesting for a training workshop on tax collection and revenue generation reporting since the PSIRS activities are technologically driven.

The Chairman of PPA informed the PSIRS that the association is the only registered publishers association to do business in Plateau. 

It informed the PSIRS that there are fake publishers and journalists spewing lies in order to get their attention and fleece the service of their hard earned resources, thus the list of the authentic publishers and their phone numbers were made available to PSIRS for scrunity and necessary action.

 The PSIRS was fourth port of call after NIPSS, Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning by the PPA to introduce the newly elected officials to run the association for the next three years.