Mr. Arlat, Executive Chairman, Plateau Internal Revenue Service
By Raymond Gukas, Jos
The Plateau Government has generated N16.48 billion internally generated revenue within the 2019 fiscal year ostensibly the highest in the history of the state inspite of the u friendly economic situation in the country.
Mr Dashe Arlat, Executive Chairman, Plateau State Internal Revenue Service (PSIRS), disclosed this in a press briefing on activities of the Service last year in his office in Jos
That the amount represents, he said, 89 per cent of the state’s 2019 revenue target of N18 billion and 111.5 per cent of the service’s N12. 4 billion revenue target, adding that the agency is working towards the N 22bn earmark for it by the state government.
Arlat described the collection as “huge” and “encouraging”, poured encomium on PSIRS staff and the MDAs, whose collective efforts during the period under review brought about the great improvement.
He however expressed his disappointment with the performance of the MDAs in 2019 having dropped from 2018’s N3. 46 billion to N2. 6 billion in 2019, saying, “they (MDAs) must have a change of attitude toward revenue collection this year.”
Accordingto him, “there are lots of potentials on the Plateau than most States whose revenue surpassed ours, but the problem is that we are yet to tap them.”
“I am optimistic that as we go with the present determination in us a revenue service, we shall best some these States in IGR.he PSIRS Chairman said 2019 IGR was a sharp deviation from those of the past years, having surpassed its target of by 111.5 percent.
“What worked for us to achieve this fest was the expansion of of zonal offices to 12 in the 17 Local Government Areas of the state and expansion of our PAYE network.
“We are pretty sure that if this tempo and speed is improved upon in this year 2020, we shall surpass the state government’s target of N22 billion for the year.
“To achieve this, we have strategized toward meeting our obligation of collecting taxes, fines and levies across both formal and informal sectors as well as all liabilities.
“Already a Committee has been set up toward culminating and effectively putting in to action all our strategies toward a result orientate fiscal year, ” he further disclosed.
He said that part of the strategies was to improve on capturing tax payers from 400, 000 to One Million (1M) as well harness the potentials within the Ministry of Land and Survey.
According to him, what was delaying the tapping of the viability in Land and Survey “is the right legislation which can give us the power to bite and bite hard and scum good IGR there.”
“What we expect from the Plateau public is commitment toward paying their taxes, fees and levies to the state so that the government will fail them in its obligation to them in providing the desired social amenities.
“We are clamouring for the dividend of democracy without us knowing it behoves on all of us to put our hands in desk for us to bring about the desired growth and development in the state,” he stated.
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