The Imo Hoteliers Association has hailed Governor Hope Uzodimma’s ban on the use of revenue consultants for tax collection.

Addressing journalists in Owerri on Monday, the association’s chairman, Chima Chukwunyere, said the ban would help curb multiple taxation, which he described as an illegality.

He, however, called on Mr Uzodimma to enforce the ban by taking holistic measures.

Mr Chukwunyere said the ban was long overdue to save hotel owners from embarrassment from revenue touts parading themselves as the government’s revenue consultants.

He thanked the governor for ordering the arrest and prosecution of one of the touts, Charles Okpala, who had hitherto used his position as a senior management officer of the state’s Internal Revenue Service to extort hoteliers in the guise of revenue collection.

The hotelier urged Mr Uzodimma to enforce the ban to prevent touts from further bringing disrepute to the state government.

He also urged the governor to establish the necessary mechanisms to protect the hotels in Imo, which were the second largest employers of labour in the state after the government.

(NAN)