By Austin Ogwuda
Executive Chairman of the Delta State Internal Revenue Service, Hon (Chief) Solomon Ighrakpata has announced a great milestone achieved by the Service since it came on board, stating it raked in N114 billion in 2023 fiscal year, thereby surpassing the target by over 20 percent.
He disclosed this while addressing stakeholders at a meeting in Warri, Delta State, emphasising that the informal sector remains the focal point towards achieving the set goals.
According to him, the Service generated over One Hundred and Fourteen billion Naira, against the budgeted Ninety Five Billion Naira (95,000,000,000.00), surpassing the target by over Nineteen Billion Naira or twenty point one percent.
“Against the IGR target of N95,000,000,000.00 in the 2023 Budget estimates, the Service generated the sum of N114,088,309,224.99 thus surpassing the target by N19,088,309,224.99 or 20.09%.
“Furthermore, the sum of N114,088,309,224.99 collected in the year 2023 exceeded the sum of N84,040,676,276.60 collected in the year 2022 with N30,047,632,948.39 or 35.75%.
“It is worthy of note that the sum of N114,088,309,224.99 collected in the 2023 fiscal year is unprecedented in the history of the State”, he stated.
Ighrakpata who was the immediate past Deputy Chief Whip and Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, Delta State House of Assembly further disclosed that the sum of One Hundred and Ten Billion Naira (110,000,000,000.00) has been set as IGR target in the 2024 Budget estimates.
He however noted that despite the budgeted sum, the Service has set an IGR projection of One Hundred and Thirty Six Billion Naira (136,000,000,000.00), having already surpassed the estimates in the budget with the collections for the previous year.
“In spite of the landmark achievement”, he went on, “the Service is not relenting on its efforts to devise ways and means to meet the IGR projection in the current year. The focal point of this administration is the Informal Sector.
“To this end, we are calling on Artisans, Unions, Associations, Professional Bodies, etc to support the efforts of the Service by dutifully performing their civic responsibility of paying their due taxes, levies, fees, rates and charges to the Delta State Government as enshrined in extant Laws.
“This will provide the critical funds needed to execute the laudable policies, programmes and projects of our result oriented Governor, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff F.O. Oborevwori under the MORE Agenda aimed at enhancing quality of lives in Delta State”, he emphasized.
Hon Ighrakpata expressed profound gratitude of the Service to the State Governor, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff F.O. Oborevwori, for his support and encouragement.
He also commended the Governor for the landmark projects being executed across the three Senatorial Districts of the State and his peace building efforts geared towards providing a safe environment for businesses to operate and thrive in the state.
Ighrakpata also noted that the development had indeed boosted the confidence of the Service in its revenue drive, even as he solicited the support of all relevant stakeholders including Ministries, Departments and Agencies of both Federal and State Government, the Security Agencies, the Revenue Collecting Banks, the Organized Private Sector, Professional Bodies, Unions, Trade Associations, Business Groups, Traditional Institutions and Local Government Authorities, amongst others.
The Executive Chairman called for stronger partnership with the Service as it continues to exercise its mandate of shoring up the Internally Generated Revenue for the overall development of the State, saying that it is yet to meet its potentials.
The Executive Directors were not left out as well as management and staff of the revenue service as he praised them for their hardwork and dedication to duties, while urging them never to relent in putting in their best in line with the vision and mission of the Oborevwori’s led administration.
