The Cross River Internal Revenue Service (CRIRS) and the Cross River State Police Command have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration in taxpayer education, tax law enforcement, and revenue generation to support the state’s development agenda.
The commitment was made on Wednesday when the Executive Chairman of CRIRS, Prince Edwin Okon, Ph.D., received the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah Akata, and his team at the Service’s headquarters in Calabar.
Speaking during the visit, Prince Okon described the Nigeria Police Force as a dependable partner in the Service’s drive to enhance tax compliance and improve internally generated revenue. He stressed that sustained collaboration with the Police and other federal security agencies remains critical to addressing revenue-related challenges and ensuring effective enforcement of tax laws.
He called for regular sensitisation of security personnel on relevant tax legislation and urged law enforcement officers to seek clarification from CRIRS before intervening in revenue-related matters to ensure that all enforcement actions are lawful, coordinated, and consistent with extant tax regulations.
The Executive Chairman also pledged to make copies of the newly enacted tax laws available to the Police to deepen their understanding of the legal framework and bridge existing knowledge gaps. He further highlighted the proposed Harmonised Tax Levies Bill currently before the Cross River State House of Assembly, describing it as a landmark initiative that would streamline tax administration, eliminate illegal revenue collection points, improve the ease of doing business, and create a more conducive environment for economic growth.
Responding, ASP Akata commended the cordial working relationship between the Police and CRIRS, describing the partnership as productive and mutually beneficial. He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to supporting the Service in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities and emphasised that sustained public enlightenment and inter-agency collaboration would encourage voluntary tax compliance and strengthen revenue mobilisation across the state.
Both organisations agreed to deepen their partnership through regular stakeholder engagements, information sharing, and joint initiatives aimed at promoting tax compliance, strengthening revenue administration, and advancing the socioeconomic development of Cross River State.
By Achiane Adams
