Borno Rakes In N2.8bn IGR In Six Weeks

February 24, (THEWILL) – The Borno State Government has generated N2.8 billion Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) between January 1 and February 15, 2024.

The Chairman of the Borno State Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), Professor Bello Ibrahim, disclosed this on Friday, at a press conference at the conference hall of the Service in Maiduguri.

He said the BIRS also generated N19.4 billion from ministries, departments and agencies as well as the 27 local government councils of the state in 2023.

“The Service collected N1.7 billion revenues in January while N1.1 billion had been generated from Feb. 1 to Feb. 15, 2024,” he said.

This, according to him, was achieved as a result of the newly introduced reform system and strategies he brought into the Service for zero tolerance, transparency and accountability in the entire process in the overall interest of the state.

“The board has also digitised and mapped out all its revenue-generating centres and screened all the locally-generated revenues collectors and ad hoc staff by way of cross-examining the total number engaged to mobilise, monitor and collect revenues physically by the past management of the board, dropping about 25% of the casual staff to sensitise the staff and sanitise the system,” Prof Ibrahim disclosed.

He said the revenue base of the state locally generated has continuously been increasing and improving systemically even during the ember month of December when revenue generation was always dropping and low in the past due to the high rate and number of defaulters.

“The tax prayers confidence and trust has increased alongside regular payment of their taxes in all the three categories of tax payments comprising personal tax, business premises tax and trade tax, which are all being paid in instalments at ease and grace or relief of three times per annum with 50% first or initial tax payment and subsequently, 25% payment twice before the year runs out and to begin new payment procedures,” he said.

He enjoined the entire citizens of Borno State to have confidence and trust in the administration of Governor Zulum on local revenue generation, projects and programmes execution and implementation.