25th October, 2023
By Jethro Ibileke
The management of Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), has set 1 November 2023, for the commencement of enforcement of the annual renewal of the proof of ownership certificate (POC) for vehicles.
The Chairman of Taskforce on IGR of EIRS, John Osagie Inegbedion, in a statement on Wednesday, urges vehicle owners in the state to comply, which he said is in line with a recent communique issued by the Joint Tax Board (JTB) on 9 May 2023.
He explained that the certificate which is issued on an annual basis at the cost of ₦1000, is aimed at tracking and maintaining the integrity of all vehicles registered on the National Vehicle and Identification Scheme (NVIS) database.
According to him, issuance of a proof of ownership certificate minimizes cases of car theft, helps in the recovery of stolen vehicles, ensures easy verification of certificates, and trace of stolen vehicles, enables nationwide statistics of vehicles to be obtained easily, as well as enhancing the national vehicle database for national security, planning, and economic development.
Inegbedion who encouraged vehicle owners with expired documents to visit any nearest EIRS branch office to revalidate their expired vehicle particulars, advised them to take advantage of the window by ensuring compliance, as those caught are likely to face prosecution in line with extant road traffic laws.
He warned that the EIRS, in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs), Security Agencies, and Transport Unions, shall embark on a motor vehicle documentation and compliance exercise throughout the remaining months of 2023.