Sir: A short piece titled: ‘‘Edo can generate more than N2.8b revenue monthly’’ by Bob Majiri Oghene Etemiku might have gone unnoticed by many readers but some faulty conclusions made in the article make this response necessary.
First, Etemiku clearly does not understand that taxes are only a portion of the total Internally Generated Revenue accruable to state governments. Apart from taxes, there are fees, charges, rates among others which people pay to the government for various public services. So, if Governor Godwin Obaseki, in one breath says only 200,000 people in the state pay taxes and the Chairman of the Edo State Internal Revenue Service , Nidu Inneh in another says that the state generated N2.
Why should Edo State invest in Edo Line to compete with God Is Good Motors, a private transportation and logistics company out of Edo State which is probably one of the biggest of such businesses in the country? Why should Edo State inject public funds, which is seriously needed to improve infrastructure to revamp Bendel Breweries, thereby competing with Guinness and Coca Cola, who have some of their largest plants in Edo State.
From cement manufacturing, to ceramic tiles production to glassmaking to steel production and roofing sheets production, there is a vast array of productive activities that leverages the state’s natural resources in creating critical inputs in the real estate and property development space. There is no indication to suggest that the tourism industry and the hospitality industry are struggling.