Kogi Targets N9bn Monthly IGR

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Following the decline in the revenue from the federation accounts, Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on Thursday, set a N9 billion monthly revenue target for the state Board of Internal Revenue (BIR), to enable the state meet its financial commitments to the people.

The governor, who charged the board to redouble its efforts, also warned its staff that government would not condone any  act  that could hinder the realisation of the set target.

Speaking at a sensitisation forum on consumption tax organised by the BIR, in Lokoja, the state capital, Bello said with the abundant human and natural resources available in the state, it should be able to generate enough revenue for development.

The governor said in order to enable the board perform optimally,  he had granted it autonomy to design  tax collection methods different from the one he inherited from the past administrations.

“The law that gave the autonomy to the board was there before I took the mantle of leadership of the state but successive administrations  lack the political will to implement it and when I looked at the importance of the law ,I implemented in the interest of the state”

He noted that all leakages would be blocked to enable the board meet the target, warned staff of the board to shun any act that is capable of   thwarting the core objectives of the revenue board.

The Chairman of the board, Alhaji Oseni Yakubu, said on his assumption of office, he discovered that there is a law to impose tax on goods and services consumed in hotels, restaurants and event centres, lamenting that there was no drive to implement the law

He noted that the sensitisation forum was not an innovation, but an implementation of the existing law which according to him exist in virtually all the 36 states of the federation.

The essence of this gathering is to sensitize you on the working of this law in which you are a critical stakeholder. The implementation of this law can not be successful without you.

“The law which impose five percent of the total cost of facilities, consumable or personal services supplied to the person who makes use of the hotel, restaurant, event centre for a fees excluding Value Added Tax is not a new law in Nigeria, but it may be new in our state” he noted.

Credit: Tribune


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