Owerri - The Imo Government has revoked all contracts entered into by ministries, departments, agencies and local governments in the state for the collection of revenues.
Gov. Rochas Okorocha, who announced the decision in Owerri on Wednesday, said that the measure was to ensure proper remittance of government revenues to the treasury.
Okorocha said it had been discovered that part of government revenue had been paid into the accounts of some people, who were bent on defrauding the government.
The governor warned that such people would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Okorocha directed that henceforth, individuals and organisations should pay their taxes to government accounts.
“Any cash payment of taxes is now considered illegal; people are expected to pay their taxes through the bank, no matter how small the amount is,” he said.
The governor appealed to the people of the state to pay their taxes to enable the state government to sustain its developmental strides.
Okorocha reminded the residents that the tax holidays granted them in October 2012 elapsed In February.
He said that government would now collect taxes as stipulated by the law, adding that revenue courts would soon be established in the state to try tax evaders.
Okorocha appealed to individuals and corporate bodies in the practice of negotiating the amount they paid as taxes to desist from it, pointing out that the practice amounted to tax evasion.
The Commissioner for Finance, Mr Chike Okafor, also said government was poised to explore all legal means to ensure that residents paid their taxes.
NAN