Oyo govt to enforce tax compliance among hospitality businesses

By Adejayan Gbenga

The Oyo State Government has announced plans to bring more hospitality businesses into the state’s tax system as part of efforts to improve revenue generation, data collection and security coordination.

The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism Development, Dr. Wasiu Olatunbosun, disclosed this at the Oyo State Tourism and Hospitality Conference held at the state Secretariat in Ibadan.

Olatunbosun said gaps in business registration and tax compliance had affected the state’s revenue collection and database of hospitality operators. He noted that some businesses were yet to register, while some registered operators were not paying their statutory dues regularly.

He said the government was engaging operators before enforcement begins next month, urging businesses to use the period to regularise their operations. According to him, the process would involve three stages: identification, cooperation and enforcement.

The commissioner also directed hospitality operators to submit monthly records of customers patronising their businesses. He said the data would help the state develop a reliable database for planning and enable the Oyo State Bureau of Statistics to obtain relevant industry information.

Olatunbosun stressed that the initiative was not solely about revenue, but would also strengthen coordination and provide useful information for security purposes. Participants at the conference included hotel owners, lounge and nightclub operators, eateries and other hospitality businesses.

Also speaking, Olorunpoto Rahman, representing Oyo East/Oyo West Federal Constituency in the state House of Assembly, pledged the legislature’s support for efforts to develop the tourism and hospitality sector.

With enforcement scheduled to begin next month, the government urged hospitality operators to register their businesses, meet their tax obligations and provide the required customer records.