Give state tax agencies autonomy, Fowler tells govs

The Chairman, Joint Tax Board and Federal Inland Revenue
Service, Mr. Tunde Fowler, has called on state governors to empower
state internal revenue services by making them
autonomous.

Fowler made the call at the 137th meeting of the JTB in Ilorin,
according to a statement signed and made available on Sunday by the
Director of Communications and Servicom, FIRS, Wahab Gbadamosi.

Autonomy, according to Fowler, is the key to professionalism and
generation of more revenue.

While addressing the Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed,
Fowler stated, “The good work that you are doing is evident in the
performance of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service. It is good
enough for others to follow. We commend the work that the KWIRS is
doing and agreed among ourselves to adopt it as a model. Like I
often tell my colleagues, we members of the JTB must not disappoint
Nigerians.

“I would like you to call on other governors, your colleagues in
other states, who have not taken the bold step to please do and
give autonomy to state internal revenue services. Please, help us
to convey this to them as an ambassador and tell other
governors.”

He also called on the JTB members to intensify efforts towards
meeting revenue targets and commended Ahmed for growing the
internally generated revenue of Kwara State.

“I like to commend the efforts of the executive governor in
transforming the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service. It is on
record that the state’s annual IGR grew from N7.1bn in 2015 to
N17.2bn in 2016. I, therefore, urge the service not to relent in
its efforts and continue to work hard to justify the encouragement
received from the state government,” Fowler added.

The meeting had as its theme: ‘Collaboration amongst tax
authorities: Its impact on revenue generation and service delivery
to taxpayers’.

Governor Ahmed, who declared the meeting open, told the chairmen
of the state internal revenue service that the KWIRS’ ability to
grow Kwara’s annual IGR from N7.1bn in 2015 to N17.2bn in 2016 was
predicated on three key planks of people, processes and
technology.

The Chairman, Joint Tax Board and Federal Inland Revenue
Service, Mr. Tunde Fowler, has called on state governors to empower
state internal revenue services by making them
autonomous.

Fowler made the call at the 137th meeting of the JTB in Ilorin,
according to a statement signed and made available on Sunday by the
Director of Communications and Servicom, FIRS, Wahab Gbadamosi.

Autonomy, according to Fowler, is the key to professionalism and
generation of more revenue.

While addressing the Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed,
Fowler stated, “The good work that you are doing is evident in the
performance of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service. It is good
enough for others to follow. We commend the work that the KWIRS is
doing and agreed among ourselves to adopt it as a model. Like I
often tell my colleagues, we members of the JTB must not disappoint
Nigerians.

“I would like you to call on other governors, your colleagues in
other states, who have not taken the bold step to please do and
give autonomy to state internal revenue services. Please, help us
to convey this to them as an ambassador and tell other
governors.”

He also called on the JTB members to intensify efforts towards
meeting revenue targets and commended Ahmed for growing the
internally generated revenue of Kwara State.

“I like to commend the efforts of the executive governor in
transforming the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service. It is on
record that the state’s annual IGR grew from N7.1bn in 2015 to
N17.2bn in 2016. I, therefore, urge the service not to relent in
its efforts and continue to work hard to justify the encouragement
received from the state government,” Fowler added.

The meeting had as its theme: ‘Collaboration amongst tax
authorities: Its impact on revenue generation and service delivery
to taxpayers’.

Governor Ahmed, who declared the meeting open, told the chairmen
of the state internal revenue service that the KWIRS’ ability to
grow Kwara’s annual IGR from N7.1bn in 2015 to N17.2bn in 2016 was
predicated on three key planks of people, processes and
technology.