Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service says its revenue has moved from N15.7 billion to N34.8 billion annually.
The Chairman of AKIRS, Mr Okon Okon stated this Friday during the Season 2 of the Inter-ministerial Briefing organised by the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Uyo.
Okon attributed the leap in IGR to prudent fiscal management and the introduction of technology in the operations of AKIRS.
A breakdown of the IGR in the eight years of Governor Udom Emmanuel, according to him, includes N16 billion IGR in 2017, N24.2 billion in 2018, N30.6 billion in 2020, N31.4 billion in 2021 and N34.8 billion in 2022, adding that the COVID-19 period affected the IGR in 2019.
“In 2019, during the COVID-19 period, Governor Udom Emmanuel out of his magnanimity granted tax exemptions and waivers in sectors of the economy so it would alleviate the pain and difficulties people experienced that time. That is taxation with human flesh, the Udom Emmanuel example.
“He created an enabling environment. Without peace, there is no development; without peace, you cannot grow the economy; without peace, you cannot collect taxes. So, the peace that Governor Udom Emmanuel brought about in Akwa Ibom state was one of the drivers of the IGR.
“Akwa Ibom stands tall as one of the states in Nigeria, if not the very first that has created an environment for people to live, eat and relax and for the ease of doing business.
“The next was to exercise prudent fiscal management, managing the funds in a manner that is transparent. This has attracted voluntary compliance from tax payers,” Okon stated.
