* Okowa

 By Nosa Eresoyen, Asaba
Protest has continued to unsettle the Delta State Consumption Tax as stakeholders threatened legal action against the state government. 

 Expectedly, the state government had recently introduced through the Internal Board of Revenue (DBIR) introduced the tax as new law vide the state occupancy, Restaurants and Departmental Stores Consumption Tax. 

 In the statement signed by Martin Adigbe and Festus Abbadah, chairmen and secretary respectively, and a copy made available to our reporter, chided the state government’s alleged nonchalant activities in the last eight years especially in the welfare of Deltans, stating that the tax was an aberration and process to diverting fund. 

 Part of the statement reads: “we will not subscribe to the tax, it is condemnable and uncalled for, especially at ft deplorable recession, we will resist any attempt by the state government to enforce the tax on Deltans, we need meaningful development, and not arbitrary tax from Deltans”. 

 As it were, the Executive Chairman of the DBIR, Sir Monday Onyeme had last week appealed to residents in the state to patriotically comply with the new tax consumption law, disclosing that for effectiveness, the Board had perfected its implementation  modalities. 

 Sir Onyeme noted that the gradual dwindling finances particularly from the federation account, underscored the compelling need to introduce the news tax among other tax types collected, in other chimes, but hitherto not introduced in the state. 

 According to him, the law, excluding Value Added Tax (VAT), imposes five percent tax in the total bill issued to a customer, who pays for the use or possession of any hotel, facility or event centre or purchases consumable goods or services in any restaurant, whether or not located within a hotel or goods and services within a departmental or supermarket in the state. 

 “While the tax is paid by the consuming public, the responsibility to collect the tax imposed is that of a person owning, managing or, controlling any business or supply any goods or services chargeable under section 3 of the law”, the board explained. 

 Onyeme stressed that the board, in the first phase, has engaged in deliberate sensitization and enlightenment to prepare all stakeholders for compliance ahead of imminent implementation, appealing to the public to get acquainted as non-compliance also carries sanction.