Oyo State records fresh 53 COVID-19 cases, total hits 2,570

State reels out relief for private entities, other tax-payers as IGR hits N2.3b
Oyo State government said it has recorded 53 cases of coronavirus.

The state governor, Seyi Makinde, who disclosed this yesterday in a series of tweets, said: “The COVID-19 confirmation tests for 53 suspected cases came back positive.

“The cases are from Ibadan South West (12), Akinyele (10), Ibadan North (six), Egbeda (five), Ido (four), Ogbomosho North (four), Oluyole (four), Lagelu (three), Ibadan North West (two), Ibadan North East (two) and Ona Ara (one) local councils. So, the total number of confirmed cases in Oyo State as of today is 2,570.”

He, therefore, urged those with cough, fever, tiredness, body ache, loss of smell/taste and shortness of breath to visit a community-based testing centre.

Meanwhile, the state government yesterday said that its internally-generated revenue (IGR) had hit an average of N2.3 billion monthly.

The state’s Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akinola Ojo, who stated this while fielding questions from journalists at a press conference on “The Implementation of COVID-19 Tax Compliance Relief Programme for Individual Tax-payers and Businesses in Oyo State,” also reeled out relief packages for corporate organisations and tax-payers in the state.

Ojo, who said plans were underway to ensure that the revenue hit N3 billion before the end of the year, added that the government targets at least N6 billion before the end of the administration. He noted that the state IGR was on an upward trajectory before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

The tax relief packages, according to the commissioner, include extension of deadline for filing of yearly returns for individual tax-payers, including self-employed persons, for five months from April 1 to August 31, 2020, extension of deadline for filing of yearly returns of employees by the employers of labour for six months from March 1 to August 31, 2020.

Also in the package are waivers of penalties and interest for employers in the primary sector of the economy (agriculture, fishing, transportation and mining) who file tax returns on or before August 31, 2020 and 50 per cent reduction in penalties and interests for employers in the secondary sector of the economy, such as food processing, beverages, sachet and bottle water producers who file tax returns on or before August 31, 2020.

The state government also approved 75 per cent reduction in penalties and interests for the service sector employers, which include hotels, educational institutions and tourist centres that file tax returns on or before August 31, 2020, adding that tax agents were allowed to remit the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax to the extent of the staff strength that were paid in each month that COVID-19 has affected them.