DELTA State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan has said it was important to streamline revenue collections from outdoor advertising in a bid to enhance the revenue base of the state and sustain its taxation policy.

The governor also emphasised on the need to domicile the outdoor advertising plan with responsible agencies for effective regulation and added value with greater consideration on the environment.

While frowning at the earlier jinxed method adopted by the local government councils in the collection of revenues accruing from outdoor advertising, which gave rise to the appointment of a credible agency backed by law, the governor suggested the need to step up efforts to drive the programme as needful item on the revenue base of Delta state.

The Governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Kingsley Emu at a meeting with primary stakeholders in outdoor advertising and branding in Delta State on Thursday, November 28, 2013 said it was important for revenues to be properly collected and remitted to the relevant agencies to avoid unhealthy complicity.

The interactive session was organised by Tas and Associates, a firm of consultants in public and corporate governance, public policy and institutions that has the franchise of outdoor advertising in Delta State.

A former Minister of Information and Chairman of Tas and Associates, Prof. Sam Oyovbaire said Delta State government granted the company “the franchise of outdoor advertising in August 2009 and appointed our firm as its consultant and this relationship was strengthened by a Memorandum of Understanding in September 2010.”

“The two documents of our relationship with the state government have dual objectives of primarily to provide orderliness and beautification in outdoor advertising in the state, and generate statutory revenue to the state government,” Prof. Oyovbaire said, adding “in carrying out its mandate, TAS has been mindful of the need for cooperation and indeed collaboration with primary stakeholders and statutory actors in the industry such as, among others, the local government and the Outdoor Advertising Agency of Nigeria (OAAN).

Prof. Oyovbaire emphasized that, “government policy is to add more value to the business and industry by enthroning a regime of orderliness that will not only improve the revenue stream of government but also increase the level of confidence of all practitioners.”

Prof. Oyovbaire, during an interactive session with media representatives had said that the outdoor advertising initiative which would also help increase the revenue base of the state does not in anyway infringe on the activities of the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue (DBIR).

He also emphasised that new standardized rates would henceforth be applied for bill-board advertising, including political campaign posters, ahead of the 2015 general elections and to guide against defacing of the environment.

“We will not allow unregistered and illegal billboards anymore. Anybody that wants to campaign would have to go for the available and suitable billboards that are duly registered.”