By Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto
Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, has said that the state’s internally generated revenue, IGR, has risen from 2.6 billion naira to 3.8 billion naira in less than a year.
He dropped this hint while addressing the annual conference of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria which took place in Abuja.
According to him, the tremendous improvement recorded in the state’s IGR was as a result of the formidable measures introduced by his administration on tax collection and management.
“When we came on board, the taxation system we met was not very encouraging due to sharp practices that bedeviled both the collection and utilization of the internally generated revenue”.
As a result of this, the Governor said his administration was able to raise more funds which are being used judiciously to improve the quality of lives of the electorate.
He added that the present administration has executed various people-oriented projects cutting across road network, water supply, empowerment programmes and improving the health conditions of the people of the state, among others.
Gov. Aliyu assured the CITN of his administration’s commitment to collaborate with the body so as to further enhance tax collection in the State.
According to him, the collaboration becomes necessary considering the huge demands by the electorate for people-oriented programmes in the State.
Abubakar Bawa also in a statement sent to our correspondent said Gov. Aliyu added that, his 9-point innovative agenda was designed in line with the yearnings and aspirations of the people of the state, hence the need to source for more funds to meet the people’s expectations.
Earlier, the president of the Chartered Institute of Nigeria, Samuel Agbeluyi said the annual conference was meant to discuss extensively on how to improve on the mandate of CITN.