The Plateau Internal Revenue Service (PIRS) generated N1.699 billion in August and is working towards N4 billion monthly, its Chairman, Mr Jim Pam, said on Wednesday in Jos.
Pam made the disclosure when the Plateau House of Assembly (PLHA) Committee on Public Accounts and Petitions visited PIRS on oversight function.
The chairman said that the service was working towards blocking leakages to shore up the state’s internal revenue profile.
He told the committee that leakages hurt both the service and the state.
“If we do not generate enough or adequate revenue, you cannot execute your constituency projects and the pressure would be on you in different areas.
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“The internal revenue stimulates economic activities; if we allow leakages, there will be no revenue and government activities will be grounded.
“As a service, we are charting a new course. Going forward, we shall work to the best of our ability to drive the process and increase the numbers.
“Thankfully, the numbers have started increasing from when I took over. In August, we got N1.699 billion. At the close of September, we got N1.5 billion.
“I believe the numbers will keep increasing but, of course, the economy generally is not doing so well at the moment.
“Again, these are not peak periods for revenue collections, however, we’re trying to see what we can do and I am sure by next year when everything will stabilise, we will start hitting N4 billion every month.
“We believe that with the technology we’re trying to deploy, and the renewed attitude we are trying bring into the service, things will move forward for the better,” he stated.
Pam told the committee that the revenue service was transparent and its books were always open for the lawmakers to always check.
Assemblyman Azi Madaki, Chairman, PLHA Public Accounts and Petitions Committee, had earlier said that the visit was to assess the activities of the service in line with the committee’s mandate.
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Madaki said that the visit was also to ensure that activities of all formations in the state were transparent and in accordance with the laid down procedures.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) quotes the committee Secretary, Mr Nicholas Barry, as telling all Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) visited that they were duty-bound to submit quarterly financial report to the committee.
Barry said that such would help the committee in making decisions concerning the MDAs for the good of the state.
Among MDAs the committee visited are the Ministries of Finance, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as well as the Office of the Auditor General of the State and that of the Local Government. (NAN)