Ahmed challenges MDAs on IGR

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara state has charged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to embark on prompt collection of taxes as a way of boosting the Internally Generated Revenue ( IGR) of the State.

The Governor, who gave the directives at a Breakfast meeting with heads of the MDAs in Ilorin at the weekend, said the move became necessary in view of the fact that the Federation Allocation Fund was dwindling and could no longer sustain payment of salaries and other infrastructural development.

According to him, “we must begin to see the areas of tax collection and tax deployment to carry out development as very key to what we have to do as a people. I am happy to see that the MDAs are already standing up to their responsibilities.

“In the past when revenues seemed to be adequate in the Federation Allocation, very little attention was given to tax collection. But today, it is obvious that if we want good things to happen and want government to stand to its responsibility, then we must play our role in ensuring that taxation, fees, commissions and fines are adequately collected “.

Earlier, the guest lecturer, a University don, Professor Abiola Sanni of University of Lagos, who also charged MDAs to brace up in their responsibility of tax collection, said taxation is the only sustainable means of running government in the country today.

In his remarks, the Executive Chairman, Kwara Internal Revenue Service, KWIRS, Dr Murtala Awodun, commended the State Government for making “significant progress” in its revenue drive, particularly through the informal sector and the introduction of Treasury Single Account (TSA). Awodun called for more support from all stakeholders to enable the service succeed.