Pulse.ng : Unlocking Kaduna’s revenue potential: KADIRS engages stakeholders for better service

By Sani Idris

The Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS), has engaged stakeholders in Kafanchan, Jema’a local government area of the state towards ensuring better services and improve revenue generation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the KADIRS 2024 stakeholders’ engagement meeting was also held in both Kaduna and Zaria, promoting collaborative governance and open dialogue.

The theme of the stakeholders engagements is: “Unlocking Revenue Potentials: A collaborative Strategy for Sustainable Growth through a Centralised Payment Gateway in Kaduna State.”

At the stakeholders engagement in Kafanchan, the Executive Chairman, KADIRS, Mr Jerry Adams, said the essence was to enhance the state’s revenue generation capacity.

Adams, represented by Mr Ali Gora, the Executive Director Standards and Compliance of KADIRS, said the stakeholders engagement was also aimed at strengthening the relationship between government, revenue service, and taxpayers.

He equally said that the purpose was to foster collaboration, to engage, sensitise, and enlighten taxpayers on the benefits of a streamlined, centralised payment system.

NAN reports that the centralised payment system, ‘Pay Kaduna Portal’, was launched by Gov. Uba Sani on May 22, in a bid to provide a viable means of payment of taxes and revenue through a seamless process across the state.

NAN recalls that Sani, represented by his Deputy, Hadiza Balarabe, at the launching, emphasised the need for all stakeholders and citizens of the state to pay their taxes through channels provided by the KADIRS.

The KADIRS boss emphasised that the introduction of the centralised payment gateway marked a major step forward on how the service approach revenue collection in Kaduna State.

He noted that the Pay Kaduna Portal offered greater transparency, convenience, and efficiency, which according to him, will not only benefit the government institutions but also make life easier for taxpayers.

“By centralising payments, we aim to reduce the burden of tax compliance, eliminate bottlenecks, and ensure that every Naira collected is accounted for and used to foster sustainable development across the state,” he said.

According to Adams, since inauguration of the Pay Kaduna Portal, revenue generation in the state had recorded positive change.

“We have reached about 70 to 80 per cent of the target set by Gov. Uba Sani,” he said.

Beyond the technical details, Adams said the stakeholders engagement programme was about building a foundation of trust and understanding.

“We recognise that tax collection is a partnership, and to succeed, we must work together, share ideas, address concerns and find solutions that benefit everyone.

“Our aim is to provide clear information, improve taxpayer education, and ensure that everyone understands the importance of contributing to the development of the state.

“We believe that by creating a more transparent and user-friendly system, we will encourage greater compliance and, ultimately, unlock the vast revenue potentials that lie within Kaduna state,” he said.

Speaking to newsmen on the sideline of the engagement, Usman Ibrahim, the representative of the Emir of Jema’a, Muhammadu Isah-Muhammadu, said tax compliance was critical to the state’s overall development.

He therefore, urged the people of Jema’a and Kaduna state at large to be tax compliant considering the new Pay Kaduna Portal, which eliminates corruption against the earlier practice of paying in cash.

Isah-Muhammadu advised the government to always consult with tax payers on developmental projects they intend to execute for the people to avoid misplacement of priorities.

One of the stakeholders and representative of Kaduna State Traffic and Environmental Law Enforcement Agency (KASTELEA), Marshal ll Muhammad Kamdo, the Head of Operations Zone 14, Kafanchan, said the agency not only enforce traffic laws in the state, but also sensitises road users on the need for caution while driving.

He equally said the agency educate the public on the procedures and proper channels to follow for acquiring drivers license, plate number registration among others in order to ensure that tax payers din’t fall into fraudulent hands.

Kamdo stated that traffic laws offenders sometimes see fines as punitive.

He, however, said fines remained corrective measures aimed at ensuring that the offenders remain on track of their civil responsibilities of abiding by the laws.

“The laws are clear, if one wants to break it, then he/she should be ready to bear it consequence,”he said.

Speaking at a panel discussions, Mr Emmanuel Bally, the Coordinator of Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Kafanchan Chapter, said that tax awareness was crucial, while encouraging citizens to leverage the ‘Pay Kaduna Portal’ for seamless tax payments, and promote economic growth.

As professional accountants, Bally said they recognised the critical role taxation plays in socio-economic development.

NAN reports that others stakeholders in the meeting included; the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KASUPDA), and Association of Private Schools, amongst others.(NAN)