From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

The Executive Chairman, Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS), Alhaji Sule Salihu Enehe has solicited the collaboration of local government chairmen and other critical stakeholders for the implementation of Land Charge Law, 2024 to boost the revenue generation of the State.

Enehe made the call on Tuesday, during a stakeholders’ engagement on the implementation of the Land Use Charge Law, 2024, held at KGIRS office in Lokoja. Reeling out the significance of the law, the KGIRS Chairman said the law harmonizes all revenue accruals into one cohesive framework to enhance revenue generation for all the local government councils in Kogi state.He added that the law (Land Use Charge) which can also be referred to as property tax when fully implemented can foster data-driven decision making, pave the way for the development of smart cities and jobs creation in the state.Speaking further Enehe said, in line with the ongoing tax reforms, the law aims at streamlining revenue collection , promoting transparency and to ensure that all stakeholders contribute their fair share towards the development of Kogi state.”I firmly believe that the successful implementation of this law will yield enormous benefits for our local government councils and for our dear state at large.”KGIRS has been collecting tenement rates on behalf of the local government, but the collection of ground rent has not been enforced.”The process of implementing the Land User Charge commenced last year and we need to acquaint ourselves with the process so that when enumerators enter the local government, the Chairmen should give them all the necessary support to enable them succeed,” he said.The Chairman urged the council’s Chairmen to join forces with KGIRS in making a resounding success through the implementation of the law, noting that the stakeholders can unlock the vast potentials abound in the state and create a brighter future for the citizens.Giving the overview of the law and its numerous gains to the state, the Chief Executive Officer of New Wave Echo System Femi Williams revealed that the Land Use Charge is a known law covering landed property, saying some states have been using the law in the last fifteen years to boost their revenue generation.Listing individuals exempted from land use charge in Kogi state, Williams mentionedgovernment-owned properties used for public purposes, places of worship, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, properties owned by traditional rulers used for official purposes, and properties below a certain size threshold as defined by the state’s Land Use Charge Law.In their separate remarks, the Chairman of Olamaboro local government, Cosmos Atabor and that of Lokoja, Abdullahi Adamu assured that the Chairmen of the 21 local government areas of the state would give their support to ensure that the implementation of the law succeeds at the grassroots.