By Dada Ahmed, Lokoja.
The Alhaji Salihu Sule Enehe.
Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS) says it records 70% success rate in its efforts to combat illegal tax collectors, leading to the arrest of 44 individuals, who will face prosecution as a deterrent to others.
The Executive Chairman of KGIRS, Alhaji Salihu Sule Enehe, disclosed these accomplishments during interview with journalists in his office in Lokoja on Tuesday.
According to Enehe, the Service has launched an extensive public awareness campaign, including the installation of billboards across the state’s three senatorial districts, to discourage taxpayers from engaging with illegal tax collectors.
Although the issue has not been entirely eradicated, Enehe noted that the crackdown has significantly reduced illegal tax collection activities.
He emphasized that the fight against these unauthorized collectors is ongoing.
In discussing KGIRS’s revenue generation efforts, Enehe disclosed that the agency has so far collected over N19 billion as of September, toward its annual target of over N30 billion for 2024.
He attributed the limit in the achievement of the Service in revenue generation to the harsh economic conditions in the country but assured that KGIRS is on track to meet its year-end target.
Alhaji Enehe, who was flanked by the newly appointed directors of the Service during the interview, expressed confidence in the management and staff’s commitment to achieving this goal before the 2024 ends.
During a tour of the KGIRS headquarters, Enehe highlighted recent renovations, clarifying that the project cost approximately N175 million, contrary to rumors suggesting a cost of N500 million.
He also urged taxpayers to fulfill their civic duty by paying taxes promptly, emphasizing that KGIRS aims to “tax prosperity, not poverty.”
On staff welfare, Enehe assured employees of the management’s commitment to providing due promotions and other benefits to enhance productivity.
He commended the Governor of the state, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo,for his investment drive in wooing investors to the state economy, adding that the more there are companies wanting to invest in the state, the more the job opportunities and more revenue generation for the state among other advantages.
