Delta Govt to commence collection of Radio, TV License Rates soon

Delta State Internal Revenue Service (DSIRS) will soon begin the collection of radio and television license rates in the state.

This collection will be carried out in collaboration with the 25 local government councils on revenue issues.

It was gathered that different platforms had already been created to implement a seamless collection of the rates which include motor vehicles, as well as a Pay TV or cable TV, while vehicles with radio and/or television, would be required to pay a fee of N100 per day or N1200 per annum which would be built into vehicle registration and renewal fees.

The Pay TV rates are to have subdivisions broken down further into households, hotels/recreation centres, and handheld devices that are capable of receiving broadcast messages.

The collection of the rates is to be carried out through the instrumentality of the Joint State Revenue Committee (JSRC).

Sir Monday Onyeme, chairman, Delta State Internal Revenue Service, speaking at an internal sensitization engagement in Warri, disclosed that the state government was desirous of boosting its internally generated revenue; (IGR) base in light of the dwindling receipts from the federation account which he said had become unreliable and inadequate to meet the increasing funding gaps of government.

Sir Onyeme cited the 1998 Taxes and Levies (Approved list for collection) Act, item 14, Part 3, which acknowledged that the collection of radio and television license rates were under the purview of the local government.

But Chairman DSIRS explained that “by the instrumentality of the Joint State Revenue Committee enshrined in section 92 and 93 of the Personal Income Tax Act, 2011,(as amended), and sections 21 and 22 of the Delta State Internal Revenue Service Law, 2020, the JSRC is empowered to deal with revenue matters of common concern to the state and the local government councils.”

He affirmed that the state would collaborate with the councils in administering this revenue source.

The IT consultant for the collection of the rates, Messrs Treasury and Financial Support Services limited, represented by Dr. Kingsley Esegbue, while highlighting on the modalities for implementation, revealed that his company had developed software programmes that would interface with the existing state motor vehicle administration platform being run by Richfield Technology at the Revenue Service headquarters.

Dr Esegbue stated further that these rates would be collected by interfacing with third parties such as service providers for pay-tv and telecommunication companies for handheld devices.