Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has urged the Nigerian Immigration Service to assist the state with the statistics of the entire expatriates working in the state for effective taxation.
Wike made the remark when he received the Controller of Immigration, Aminu Yarima, who paid him a courtesy call in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
He said the statistics was necessary to ensure that the expatriates did not evade tax.
Wike alleged that most foreign companies in the state deliberately withhold the accurate number of foreigners working with them.
According to him, this makes it difficult for the state Revenue Service to collect the legal taxes.
Wike said: “We need the support of the Nigeria Immigration Service on the number of expatriates working in the state.
“This information is vital to our revenue drive.”
Wike said that a partnership between the NIS and the state Internal Revenue Service would go a long way to improving the state revenue base.
He also urged the NIS to step up security measures to stop suspected terrorist and illegal immigrants from filtering into the state.
According to him, the international nature of terrorism requires the Nigeria Immigration Service to be on top of the situation at all times.
In his remarks, Yarima commended the governor for improving the security in the state.
Business Wike urges NIS to assist ensure expatriates pay tax
