Bassey Onyong-Andy, chairman of Akwa Ibom Internal Revenue Service, said in Uyo on Sunday that the state government collected about ₦14.5 billion as internally generated revenue between January and November.

The chairman said that the figure represented more than 90 percent of the state’s internal revenue collection target of ₦15.9 billion for the year.

He expressed the conviction that the revenue target would be attained at the end of the year.

“We have worked hard, since the beginning of the year to meet government’s target from internal revenue and are hopeful that with ₦14.5 billion as at the end of November, we will hit the target in December,” he said.

He attributed the revenue performance to ongoing restructuring and transformation of the state by Governor Godswill Akpabio’s administration adding that public service structure had been strengthened.

Mr Onyong-Andy explained that the computerisation of operations of the revenue board also helped in checking leakages and other shady deals in the system.

He said the agency was determined to ensure that it collected enough revenue to take care of the government’s recurrent expenditure.

“We operate real time, online, covering 17 designated revenue sources and centres and all revenue collections around the state are registered in our interswitch, real time.”

He said employees of the board had penetrated the informal sector in the state in revenue collection, adding that a large number of people, who were evading taxes, including corporate organisations, have been “captured”.

He said that the government would continue to motivate employees of the revenue service for improved productivity through regular training and re-training.

The chairman appealed to residents of the state to pay their taxes regularly.

He pointed out that it was from tax proceeds that government would provide the needed amenities and fund its free and compulsory primary and secondary education programme.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Money/Finance/5749714-146/akwa_ibom_generates_14.5b_internal_revenue.csp

What did the number look like in previous years?

ekt_bear:

What did the number look like in previous years?

Thats right, it ought to be compared for us know if there was an improvement or not and more importantly they should tell us what it was used for.