HADEIJA – The Hadejia Local Government in Jigawa says it has begun a community sensitisation to encourage the people to pay government levies. The Sole Administrator of the council, Alhaji Ahmed Lawan, made the disclosure at one of such exercises on Friday in Hadejia. According to Lawan, the sensitisation is organised in collaboration with the state government and the British Department for International Development (DFID). He said the exercise was necessary because the government had initiated the “Demand Notice and Customer Teller Scheme” to enhance revenue administration and generation. Lawan, represented by a director in the council, Alhaji Ahmed Abudullahi, said that under the new system, businesses would pay their revenue through banks and Point of Sale (POS) machines. According to him, only petty traders will henceforth pay taxes through the old revenue collection system.
Lawan noted that the council would ensure the sensitisation was conducted in all the market places, motor parks and every other public place.
Muntari Wada, the Representative of DFID, said the organisation had initiated a ”Growth and Employment (GEMS-3) Programme” to support state and local governments to enhance their revenue generation.
Wada added that the programme would also focus on the transformation of land administration and encourage investment at the grassroots.
He called on community and religious leaders as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to support the exercise. (NAN)