Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
… Commences full operations begin at Revenue House, Udo Udoma August 1
By Glory Eyo
The Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service (AKIRS) has declared its optimistic moves to boost the Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.
Stating the successes recorded for the past two years since the creation of the board, the Chairman, Mr. Okon Okon in his maiden press briefing after the maiden board meeting of AKIRS for the year on July 22, 2019 noted with delight that the revenue generated so far stands at N16billion in 2017; N24.2b in 2018 and N24.4 as at half year of 2019.
While pointing out the key information from the board meeting, Mr. Okon stated that the Board has also intensifies enforcement and recovery, launched informal sector to expand the tax net, relocate other state taxes Directorate to Revenue House, Udo Udoma and to improve rapidly the internally Generated Revenue as the Board has improved on its physical infrastructure which of it is the newly erected prefab building for other States taxes Directorate to relocate from the states secretariat by August 1, 2019 for a more conducive and controlled work environment.
The Chairman disclosed the secret of the Board success to the adoption of a transformation program tagged, Revenue and Institutional transformation Agenda (REVITA) on January 1, 2018 as the program has helped the Board to stay focused, keep and track it progress regularly, due to it repositioning aim and result oriented ability. Explaining the secret behind the board’s success story, he mentioned the deliberate effort of the Board to enhance humanness by improving its staff welfare and career progression via routine on-the-job/trainings, professional conferences, promotions, payment of incentives, loan scheme and other due entitlements as part of the success story of the Board.
Furthermore, Okon Okon stressed on building a technologically driven services for continuous improve on automation of processes to render a more efficient service to tax payers. He also stated the effective dynamics of the board to expand tax base in the informal sector in an effective and equitable way to contribute their quota in the development of the state.
The AKIRS Boss who earlier in his speech thanked God Almighty for His faithfulness and the Executive governor of the state, His Excellency, Mr. Udom Emmanuel for giving him and his colleagues opportunity to add value to the development of the state as the pioneer autonomous Internal Revenue Service also lauded the cooperation of taxpayers whom he see as the prime factor of the Board’s existence and success, ”I seize this medium to sincerely appreciate the cooperation of our teeming tax payers for their voluntary compliance”.
However the chairman announced that the board is currently embarking on a major enforcement and recovery drive and so encouraged tax payers to comply timely as application of tax will be held in high esteem, “I therefore urge tax defaulters to honour their civic obligations by paying their taxes accurately and promptly to avoid being prosecuted in line with the applicable tax laws as the Board will leave no stone unturned in the ongoing intensive enforcement and recovery drive across the state”.
