2017: Agency targets N646m revenue for LGs in Kwara
NAN-HE-17
Revenue
By Usman Aliyu
Ilorin, Feb 13, 2017 (NAN) The Kwara Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) has set a revenue generation target of N646 million for the 16 local governments in the state for 2017.
The Chairman of the agency, Dr Muritala Awodun, said this in Ilorin at a meeting with the chairmen of Transitional Implementation Committee (TIC) for local councils in the state.
Awodun said the agency was able to generate N246 million for the councils in 2016, an amount greater than what the councils generated in 2015.
“Part of the exercise we just concluded is to agree on the budget for the local governments.
“You know last year we started discussion around this time and we started the collection in April.
“In nine months, for the local governments, we generated a total of N246 million as against N200 million generated in 2015.
“We have proposed a N646 million budget for local councils in 2017. I want to believe that the proposed amount is what we are going to run with it throughout the year,” he said.
The revenue agency boss said that all the taxable items had been surrendered to the agency’s units at the council level, assuring that it was fully prepared to work effectively to realise the goals.
He stated that KWIRS would continue to collaborate with the councils because of areas that they had expertise to ease collection process.
“The truth of the matter is that part of what we deliberated on the session is to see how we can work together so that areas where we can still allow them to collect and redeem it appropriately.
The chairman added that the relationship between the agency and the councils was guided by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in February 2016.
“The MoU is due for renewal, therefore the Transitional Implementation Committee chairmen will get a draft for the renewal.
“But the terms and agreements remain the same. It is 30/70 per cent.
“Seventy per cent for the councils and 30 per cent for the revenue house because in the process of collecting tax, you engage consultants, staff and other processes which all need money.” Awodun explained.
Responding, the Chairman, association of TIC chairmen, Alhaji Isiaka Danmairomo, said the association was satisfied with the sharing formula.
He assured the agency of the councils’ cooperation for effective revenue generation. (NAN)
AUO/IA
Edited by Idris Abdulrahman