By Fatima Muraina
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The Deji and paramount ruler of Akure kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, Odundun 11 has commended the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN for having the political will to implement the land use charge which had been enacted to law since 2014.

Oba Aladetoyinbo said this while playing host to government officials from the State Board of Internal Generation Revenue, who paid him a courtesy visit in his palace at the weekend.

Aladetoyinbo said the land use charge has long been awaited for saying that Akeredolu wants a better transformation for the development of the state.

He described the initiative of Governor Akeredolu as a very good start and appreciated him for his magnanimity of reducing the rate as contained in the law to make it affordable for the people.

The State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Wale Akinterinwa, who led the officials on the visit explained the land use charge is a tax to be paid by land owners who build houses on lands within the state so that the state can maintain and sustain the structural development within the environment where such houses are built.

Akinterunwa observed the need to commence the implementation of the land use charge as a way to increase the Internal Generation of Revenue to serve as an alternative to the federal allocation which is no longer enough for meaningful development.

The Chairman of the State Board of Internal Revenue, Mr.Tolu Adegbie reeled out the processes and modules of payment saying that Governor Akeredolu has given amnesty on the payment to make it affordable for the citizenery.

Adegbie said house owners will now pay for 2017 and 2018 years instead of 2014, 2015, and 2016 years as stipulated by the law.

According to Adegbie, government said has classified locations intio three districts for the high value zone, medium and the based value zone whose yearly payments are 10,000, 5,000 and 1,000 naira respectively.

The BIR boss who analysed the means of payment said government has partnered the banks to issue quick tellers in the banking halls, payment through the Automated Teller Machines (ATM’s), internet  banking and mobile banking which are all available for payment of the land use charge.

Adegbie however warned against anything handwriting on the bill which he said is faked because the whole process is automated while he said no official is expected inside the apartment of those whose houses were to be enumerated but to only capture the building.