Delta Achieves About 101.29 Per Cent Of Annual Revenue Target

Delta State Board of Internal Revenue has achieved about 101.29 per cent of the annual revenue target of N110.304 billion in the year 2024 budget estimates.

It will have a cumulative Internally Generated Revenue (lGR) figure of N111.73 billion from January 2024 to September 2024.

Giving a scorecard of the board’s activities since its inauguration in July 2023, the Executive Chairman, Chief Solomon Lghrakpata, speaking at the NUJ Delta-organized journalist’s hangout at the press centre, Asaba, noted that external solicitors with good knowledge of tax laws and practices have been engaged to handle tax litigations and assist the board in recovering all outstanding tax liabilities.

The success factors are propelled, among other things, by visible landmark projects executed by the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori administration across the state’s three Senatorial districts. Thus, taxpayers who see evidence of their taxes being judiciously utilised for their overall benefits are encouraged.

Others include the introduction of the whistle-blower’s policy, which gives latitude to tax consultants and interested individuals/ public to bring forward reliable information about companies and individuals involved in tax evasion and secrecy, as well as the automation of the informal sector, setting up of the intelligence and compliance unit to cover the three senatorial districts, enumeration of identified potential taxpayers and bringing the potential taxpayers into the tax net, among others.

Ighrakpata, represented by the Executive Director, lCT and Corporate Development, Dr Collins lghrakpata, disclosed that full implementation of the consolidated MDAs Billing System (CMBS) to eliminate touts and block revenue leakages from the MDAs is already yielding results.

The internal Revenue helmsman also added that the effective use of the Tax Audit Review Committee (TARC) meeting for reconciliation or speedy resolution of tax audit issues has, in no small measure, helped to bolster the board’s revenue regime.

He also stated that staff across the field offices had been entirely motivated to do their jobs. At the same time, the monitoring team made periodic visits to checkmate truancy and other negative tendencies that would inhibit progress.

While also commending Governor Oborevwori for his peace-building initiatives, which have enabled businesses to operate in a secure and peaceful environment, the Chairman of the Board of Internal Revenue solicited the cooperation of stakeholders to partner with the Board as they continue to work assiduously to shore up the internally generated revenue for the development of the state.

Earlier, the State Council Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Churchill Oyowe, commended Chief lghrakpata and his team for their transparency and accountability in making their revenue figures public, thus instilling confidence in the taxpayers