Dennis Udoma
Akwa Ibom State Government says, it has raked in a whopping N20.4 Billion between January and June 2019 as revenue accruable to the State from the Internal Generated Revenue Service (IRS).
The Executive Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Board of Internal Revenue, Mr. Okon Okon disclosed this at an interaction with newsmen in Uyo on Tuesday.
He said before now, the service had recorded N16 Billion in 2017 when it came on board, while N24.2 Billion was generated in 2018. He credited the success story of his Board to passion, commitment and cooperation of taxpayers to the development of the State.
‘‘I am delighted to state that, the strategies developed so far have yielded appreciable increase, improvement in the IGR of the state.
‘‘The Service has recorded steady growth year-on-year with a record of N16 billion when we came on board in 2017, N24.2 billion in 2018 and N20,4 billion as at half year of 2019’’, he said.
Mr Okon further stated that, as part of its policy thrust, the Board had deployed effective dynamics through what he called, Revenue and Institutional Transformation Agenda (REVITA), to expand the tax base in the informal sector of the state in an effective and equitable way.
This, he noted, enabled them to contribute meaningfully to the state’s development strides of the Governor Udom Emmanuel led government.
The Chairman also maintained that, the significant progress in revenue generation was made possible through continuous improvement on automation of processes to render a more efficient
service to taxpayers.
Others strategies included; infrastructure development to accommodate revenue staffers adding that, new buildings have been provided at the IRS head office, Udo-Udoma Avenue in the metropolis to accommodate other State Tax Directorates from the State Secretariat from August 1,
2019.
He urged tax defaulters and the paying public to honour their civic obligations by paying their taxes accurately and promptly to avoid being prosecuted, as the Board would leave no stone unturned in the ongoing enforcement and recovery drive across the state.
‘‘The Board is currently embarking on a major enforcement and recovery drive. I therefore, urge tax defaulters to honour their civic obligations by paying their taxes accurately and promptly to avoid
being prosecuted in line with the applicable tax law as the Board will not leave any stone unturned in the ongoing intensive enforcement and recovery drive across the state’’, he warned.
