From Victor Seyi, Ilorin
The Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, has said that with improved Internally Generated Revenue ( IGR) states will depend less on the Federation Account Allocations to meet their financial obligations, especially payment of workers’ salaries.
Gov. Ahmed stated this at the weekend in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
He added that the recent bailout by the federal government to all tiers of government meant to settle outstanding salaries of workers, though an interim measure, would give the states opportunity to work out new modalities of improving their revenue base.
The governor described the bailout and the decision of President
Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to slash their salaries by 50 per cent as proactive reactions to the feelings of Nigerians and prevailing economic challenges in the country.
He added that the measures were testimonies that the All Progressives Congress’ change mantra will usher and entrench new values of responsive governance, financial prudence and economic revitalization in the country.
Governor Ahmed however said his administration was addressing the effects of the continuous shortfalls in federation accounts allocation to the state through the improved IGR as the recently established Kwara State Internal Revenue Service was set up to identify and block
loopholes in tax collection mechanism in the state.
He assured the people of the state that the new measures were not impositions of new tax regimes or burden on them but a correction of shortcomings in tax collections in order to boost the state’s revenue base to meet its obligations to them.
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