ABIA REVENUE BOARD TO BECOME AUTONOMOUS AGENCY……
Abia state deputy governor, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu has charged staff of Abia State Board of Internal Revenue Service to work hard and collaborate with other ministries and Agencies in the state to ensure collection of accrued revenue to the state government’s coffers as to improve the state’s internal generated revenue base.
Sir Oko Chukwu who threw the challenge while declaring open a two day Retreat and Strategy session organized for staff of the board held at the Evergreen Hotel , Umuahia said that government expected much from them inorder with a view upturn the poor inflow of internally generated revenue inflow the state has been battling with over the years.
He stated that the time to think our side the box to generate extra revenue to augment allocations from the federal government has come and challenge them to leave up to billing.
The deputy Governor disclosed that the governor in his resolve to effect changes have given approval that the internal Revenue Service of Abia State be given autonomy to help checkmate all the leakages from various revenue windows and improve the IGR collection, thereby improving indirectly the life of Abians for government to fulfill its mandate to the people.
He described the retreat as very apt and timely in recognition of the need to re- engineer the state’s IGR by giving the service, a private sector orientation touch and implored the management and called on staff to work to come up with purposeful results as government will appreciate their commitment by providing them with requisite tools and reward them adequately for their outputs.
The Deputy Governor who is also the Chairman of the State IGR Council , reassured of his commitment to ensure that the entire reform process which will be a continuous one get the desired results as the present administration was determined in its efforts to block all leakages and improve efficiency.
In his remarks, the Executive Chairman, Abia State Internal , Revenue service, Elder Udochukwu Ogbonna disclosed that the retreat was organized to bring their staff together to chart a way forward on how to reform the Board of Internal Revenue to achieve optimal results and adopt proactive measures of growing the state Internally Generated Revenue.