Adebayo Adenrele
Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has solicited the supports of Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state in a bid to boost the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) without placing extra burden on the people.
Oyebanji made the call in Ado-Ekiti today, during a meeting with Chairman, Internal Revenue Service and revenue generating Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
He assured the Internal Revenue Service of adequate government support to enable it deliver on revenue drive.
He implored the revenue generating components in the state to step up their efforts in terms of commitment and dedication to duties and ensure increase in revenue to enable government achieve its desired goals of delivering dividends of democracy to the people and make life better for them through provision of social services.
Oyebanji noted that about 85 percent of files and mails that come to his table daily are about expenditure, with none on suggestions about how to raise revenue.
“Yes, we want to increase revenue but at the same time, I don’t want to make life very hard for Ekiti people. The meeting is not about putting burden on our people but to look at areas of leakages and see where we can use technology to ensure that we promote transparency.
“Our biggest challenge is the probability of MDAs in using technology for fund generation. We still want to do cash based business for reason known to us and going forward, we may start penalising MDAs that refuse to follow laid down rules and regulations.
“We need to be frank with ourselves, and after today’s meeting, we will agree on how we are going to move forward and I will track performance. So, MDAs that are supposed to bring in revenue, we will listen to you, you can even suggest means and ways we don’t even know. But bring challenges and come with solution too.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Akintunde Oyebode, stressed the need for the state to improve on its 7th lowest ranking in internally generated revenue among the 36 states of the Federation by strengthening the capacity of the Internal Revenue Service to improve on the states revenue drive.
The Chairman, Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service, Mr Rufus Olatona noted that the reason his office was not performing optimally was because there were some people who were impersonating officials of the IRS and assured the Governor that investigation is in progress and culprits would be brought to book.