Dr. David Nzekwu, the Chairman of Anambra State Internal Revenue Service, says Governor Willie Obiano increased the state revenue base by 300% during his administration.
Nzekwu, who disclosed this during an interview with journalists, explained that the state government has maintained an upward trajectory in terms of her revenue base in the last 8 years.
He said the revenue base of the state was about N8.7 billion when Governor Willie Obiano took over in 2014, but as at the last figure submitted to the National Bureau of Statistics in 2020, the state revenue has grown to about N28 billion.
The state revenue boss also disclosed that at the end of the compilation of 2021 figures, Anambra state revenue base would be hitting N30 billion, adding that the state revenue from the time of inception of Governor Willie Obiano’s administration witnessed a 300% increment.
Nzekwu was of the belief that the feat would not have been possible without the support of Ndi-Anambra who, he said, have been encouraged to pay their taxes as and when due.
He maintained that the state revenue service had ensured accountability and transparency in the payment of taxes through what he called, Tax Identification Numbers, Automation and other strategies.
The State Internal Revenue Service boss, however, noted that Anambra state has a peculiar challenge in revenue generation, disclosing that some people have feasted on government revenues as business enterprise over the years.
He, nevertheless, asserts that steps have been taken to address the anomaly in revenue collection.
Dr Nzewi said one of the steps taken was the digitisation and automation of revenue processes, adding that at the moment, there is Anambra State Central Billing System as well as Anambra State Central Receipting System, emphasising that all the mechanisms have resulted in the increase in revenue base as some of the loopholes and leakages have been blocked.
Nzekwu said, “We have also created a system of documenting taxpayers but what we have to do more now is enforcements even though we still have the challenge of insecurity.”
He tasked the incoming governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, to increase and expand taxpayer’s base in the state so that more people will pay taxes to beef up the Internally Generated Revenue.
Nzekwu said he was confident that Professor Soludo whom he described as an experienced economist will understand the need to build on the progress made by the outgoing governor to sustain the tempo in revenue
0
0
