From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has promised to improve tax collection in the state. According to the governor, his commitment is to make Gombe one of the top states in the Northeast region in terms of tax collection.
The Governor stated this while speaking during a courtesy visit to him by the newly appointed Chairman of the Gombe State Internal Revenue Service (GIRS), Hajiya Aisha Adamu Yaro, and her management team. Governor Yahaya disclosed that the strategic vision of the state government is to reduce reliance on external funding sources and foster self-sufficiency while preserving the tenets of probity and accountability in the State.
He expressed confidence in the leadership of the GIRS and assured them of his support towards fulfilling their mandate. He said, “We envision a state that can meet the needs of its people without relying on national allocation”.
The governor urges the Chairperson of the GIRS and her team to brace up and perform beyond expectations.
Meanwhile, on her part, the Chairperson, Hajiya Aisha Adamu Yaro expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting her with the vital role which she described as an opportunity to serve her people, commending the governor for his commitment to gender mainstreaming, while assuring to deliver beyond expectations.
“With all the support from His Excellency, the government should expect increased revenue, and the people of Gombe State should expect improved service delivery from us”, she pledged.
Yaro explained that the service has exceeded its 2023 target by about 15 percent, generating an all-time highest Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of over 15 billion Naira for the state.
She said, “With the support we received from His Excellency and the political will, the service has raised the bar for revenue generation; we have set up an ambitious target of N22 billion for the year 2024, with a significant 100% increase from the previous target”.
Assuring that the service will intensify efforts around its core functions of tax assessment, collection, and remittance to the government deploying modern technology for more efficiency and accountability while bolstering revenue generation despite the national economic challenges.
The chairperson emphasized that tax revenue plays a crucial role in supporting vital development projects and controlling externalities citing how effective revenue collections in other states help improve their IGR for financial independence and liberation.