Pulse.ng : Revenue: With tax compliance, Kaduna can generate N150b monthly

By Sani Idris

The Kaduna State Commissioner of Planning and Budget Commission (PBC), Mr Mukhtar Ahmed, has said that the state has capacity to generate 150 billion naira monthly revenue from tax payers if there is compliance.

Ahmed said this on Wednesday at a stakeholders engagement organised by the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS).

The theme of the event was "Unlocking Revenue Potential: A Collaborative Strategy for Sustainable Growth through a Centralised Payment Gateway in Kaduna State.

Ahmed who was the keynote speaker at the event, emphasised on automation of collection systems, inter-agency collaboration/synergy and vigorous sensitisation to achieve desired targets.

He also emphasised that compliance is the major issue in revenue generation in the state.

"Look at all the beautiful houses in Kaduna and the businesses, we need to support the government by paying our taxes",he said.

Ahmed said that there is a possibility where what is coming from the centre may dey up one day and approaching a stage were people are becoming aware of needs on what they want the government to do for them.

"It has to do with partnership now, between the citizens and the government where it can only work if the state has money, and where is that money?.

"Government does not only come up to disclose amounts that are coming, even the one coming from the federal is just a budget, sometimes it doesn't come depending on the situation,"he said.

The commissioner therefore said if the state has a stable internally generated revenue where the sources are known, it would be easy to work together by supporting the citizens with the IGR.

Speaking further, Ahmed said that no budget functions without revenue, adding that any budget that doesn't have a revenue side of it is not a budget but a dream.

He therefore said the PBC put alot of focus on revenue generating agencies in the state.

In doing so, Mukhtar said they identified about 13 of them which he called 'the big billionaires' who they give targets of one billion naira and above and meet with them on quarterly basis.

"Sometimes we call them before the quarter ends to see how we can work together and bring out programs and address challenges so they meet their targets".

In terms of tax laws, the Commissioner said the ground for revenue generation has been set in company of competent officers who are always ready to work with tax payers to pay tax.

"Now, we have the platform which is the payment gateway and also the needed support from the government,".

He called on the residents of Kaduna and Nigerian in general to be more productive so as to engage in export.

He also urged them to be more patriotic, and desist from condemning Nigeria all the time.

He called on the revenue generation agency to minimise tax waivers.

The Executive Director, Standards and Compliance of the KADIRS, Ali Gora, said the essence of the engagement was to educate the stakeholders on what the agency is doing and to get feedback on their plights.

Gora said the whole essence was to make sure the stakeholders/citizens know the importance of tax payment which benefits them and state in general.

He equally said that the engagement was to rub minds on how the agency can improve revenue collection and service delivery to the citizens in terms of taxation.

"We want the people to begin to understand the reasons for voluntary compliance of paying tax ,"he said.

The executive director explained that the stakeholders engengagement was not new, but on the days' event, they put emphasis on the newly introduced payment platform, which is the 'Pay Kaduna Portal'

He said the portal has made it easier for tax payers to get information about how they can pay any tax to the state.

He said the stakeholders engagement would take place across all the zones in the state so as the citizens would partake in discussions around tax.

Also, Dr Muhammad Lawal, the Executive Director Corporate Services of the KADIRS, said the years' stakeholders engagement was special because prior to introduction of the "Pay Kaduna Portal', there were multiple platforms that provide services for various tax payers.

"Now we have been able to consolidate everything under the 'Pay Kaduna Portal' where all tax payers can pay all taxes. This implies that it is much easier, cheaper and faster for people to access our services and make payments to the state,"he said.

He urged the citizens to pay their taxes voluntarily and desist from tax evasion.

Lawal said tax evasion and non compliance affects the revenue line.

"On our part, we providing the means for payment, accesments and collection that makes it easier for tax payers to comply,"he said.(NAN)