IGR: Borno State Generates Over N1.4bn in 15 Days, First Ever in The History Of The Service

IGR: Borno State Generates Over ,N1.4 bn in 15 days, First Ever in the History Of The  Service

By Madu Mohammed, Maiduguri

The Borno State Internal Revenue Service (BOSIRS), has recorded the sum of N1.4 billion within the 15 days in February, 2024, which was first ever in the history of the service..

Speaking to journalists at a press briefing held at the headquarters of the BOSIRS, Maiduguri yesterday, the Executive Chairman of Service, Prof.Bello Ibrahim said ” since I assumed office in July, 2023, we introduced some reforms which has been yielding result for us.. we witnessed increase of Revenue in July, with slight declined in August and September and increased in October, November and December 2023, in January, 2024 we generated N1.1 billion but it is interesting to note that within 15 days of February, 2024 we generated N1.2 billion and Insha Allah our IGR for 2024 is promising”.

” This achievements wouldn’t have possible without the introduction of automation system, Borno is the first state ever to introduce automation in it’s revenue collection after FIRS. This has helped in minimizing leakages in tax collection,”, Prof Ibrahim said.

He said in taxation what you generated matters and not the reforms, adding that governance is all about revenue, adding that budgets speechless are mere estimates or projections without revenue and assured that the service is equal to the tasks of generating more revenue..

The Executive Chairman also said ” we have also introduced 4 alternative modes of payment which includes banks, POS, using Android phone and specific agents at no cost to the tax payer.and each tax payer has the opportunity to spread the payments into 3 all these reforms has helped in recording these achievements recorded”.

He commended Governor Babagana Zulum for approving funds for the procurement of vehicles, computers and other equipments and also embarking on people oriented projects which made their task of revenue collection easy.

He said the state could not meet it target of N9 billion IGR in 2024 due to non remittance of revenue from the office of Accountant General and assured that the 2024 target is realistic and promising as it was done based on projections without revenue accruing from the Accountant General office and also indicators from February revenue generation.

In order to boost the economy of the state from setbacks of over a decade of Boko Haram insurgency, Prof Ibrahim said Governor Zulum has disbursed over N10 billion to traders and small scale businesses, stressing under the state micro finance banks over N4 billion was disbursed to small scale businesses and traders across the 27 local areas of the state.