ENUGU — The Enugu State Government has charged state Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDAs, to strategically think outside the box, plan and execute actions to internally generate revenues for a smooth implementation of the year 2022 budget.
Speaking to representatives from the state MDAs at a one day summit organized by Enugu State Internally Revenue Service, ESIRS, at Base Event Centre, Independence Layout, Enugu, the Chairman of ESIRS, Prince Emeka Odo stated,
Enugu State Internally Revenue Service, ESIRS, one-day summit at Base Event Centre, Independence Layout, Enugu.
“The Summit is organized by the agency in collaboration with Enugu State Economic Planning Commission to review the performance of the MDAs in the past three years, inform all revenue-generating MDA of its revenue target for 2022, and formulate and agree on strategies for achieving the targets as well as harmonize their revenue heads.”
Recounting last year’s success, Prince Odo reveals that in the year 2021, out of the twenty-nine million naira (N29,000,000.00) IGR target, ESIRS collected a total of twenty-six million, seven hundred thousand naira (N26,700,000.00) as her contribution to the funding of the year 2021 budget; this represents a 92 percent budget performance and a 13 percent improvement over the 2020 fiscal year performance.
“This performance is commendable and all of us in this room have every reason to be proud of this achievement. However, the bulk of the credit for the improving IGR figures in Enugu State goes to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, considering the huge financial, structural and logistic support he extended not only to the Revenue Service but to all revenue-generating MDAs in the state”.
Odo while applauding the Governor in this feat, recounted, “In six years, the present administration has radically reformed the Revenue Service, transforming it from a manual, laid back government agency to an automated, modern revenue service run on the wheels of best business principles”.
Some reforms include approval and provision of funds for the installation of an Integrated Tax Management System in the Revenue Service, automating tax filling, assessment, collection and accounting; a continuous recruitment process through which the manpower base of the Service is refreshed and rejuvenated; provision of vehicles to boost the logistic efficiency and effectiveness of the Service and institutionalization of a monthly financial incentive scheme for all staff of the Service to reward hard work and productivity.
In his speech, the Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya applauded the MDAs efforts thus far but enjoined them to set up monitoring mechanisms to track all revenue generated towards the actualization of their targets.
The Governor further canvassed for the establishment of an annual revenue index of every MDA in the state.
“This present administration is determined to grow her IGR so as to create a socio-economic system not so dependent on federal allocation; the state’s IGR has increased by 50 percent without any increased tax burden on the people or businesses,” he disclosed.
“2019 Report on fiscal sustainability rates Enugu State 3rd in the Federation after Lagos and River states. While Ernst and Young report, a globally acclaimed auditing firm, rated Enugu State first in the Federation on grounds of fiscal discipline, prudence, and accountability,” Ortuanya reiterated.
The Governor’s representative then commended the Chairman ESIRS, Prince Emeka Odo, and his team for the timely Summit, expressing confidence that, at the end of the strategic event, the challenges faced by major revenue-generating MDAs will be analyzed and solutions proffered to enhance revenue generation for delivery of more democratic dividends to the people of the state.
In her goodwill message, the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Ada-Onah Kene-Uyawunne, stated that the Summit became imperative in view of the advice by the World Bank that states should concentrate on what they grow internally instead of relying solely on federal allocations.
She further explained that growing revenue is not about increasing taxation, but about cutting costs, harmonization of taxes, and harnessing resources.
On his part, the Commissioner for Budget, Dr. David Ugwunta, thanked Gov. Ugwuanyi for approving the Summit, highlighting its benefits towards the funding of the 2022 budget.
Dr. Ugwunta maintained that the IGR is needed to meet up with the recurrent expenditures, pointing out that the governor has been passionate and committed to regular payment of workers’ salaries, pensions and subventions.
Present at the event are Sir Paschal Okolie Special Adviser to the Governor on Financial Matter; Sir Remigius Odo Enugu State Accountant General; the General Manager of Enugu State Housing Development Corporation, Hon. Chukwuemelie Agu; Executive Secretary, Enugu State Economic Planning Commission, Nnanyelugo Dan Onyishi; and the Managing Director, Enugu State Investment Development Authority, Dr. Sam Ogbu Nwobodo.
Others include the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance; the Accountant General; the Executive Secretary, the Enugu State Economic Planning Commission; the Chairman of the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service; all Directors in the Service; the Permanent Secretary and Directors of Finance of all the major revenue-generating ministries and parastatals; the Registrar and Bursar of all state government-owned tertiary institutions in the State, amongst others.
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