Joe Effiong, Uyo
Akwa Ibom State Government, yesterday said with the industrialisation drive of the state, the internally generated revenue (IGR) would hit N100 billion this year.
Commissioner for Finance, Linus Nkan, made the disclosure while speaking with newsmen in Uyo.
Nkan said in the last four years, four firms were initiated and became operational to enhance IGR.
He listed the firms to include Jubilee Syringes Manufacturing Company, Metering Solutions Manufacturing Company, Kings Flower Mill and Plywood Company and Ibom Airlines.
According to him, given the industrialisation drive and its success story so far, the IGR has witnessed a boost in the last two years, assuring that not less than N100 billion will be generated this year.
The commissioner, who did not say how much the state generated in 2019, however, said the IGR for the year was twice what was generated in 2018.
“Our efforts to boost the economy have equally boosted our IGR. That of 2019 was almost double what we got in 2018. We should not have anything less than N100 billion this year.
“As we are doing all these industries, they will now pay tax and those employed are also paying taxes to government,” he said.
The commissioner said the Governmnet Udom Emmanuel-led administration was passionate about transforming the state based on its five-point economic agenda.
He added that the government had given incentives to over 10,000 farmers to cultivate cassava in the state, while those growing rice had also been supported.
Nkan said the idea was to ensure food sufficiency, besides stepping down prices of those commodities in the market, being the stable food consumed in the state.
He also disclosed the over 20,000 bags of rice bought and distributed to indigenes by the government during the Yuletide were grown and produced in the state.
Meanwhile, relief materials worth hundreds of thousands of naira have been donated and distributed to victims of a recent fire disaster in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State
The early morning inferno had gutted Iwuokpom fishing settlement popularly called Yoruba community.
More than 400 houses, though most of them shacks and shanties, and property worth millions of naira were said to have been destroyed. However, no life was lost.
Ibeno council Vice Chairman, Sunday Isokobo, who presented the relief materials to the victims yesterday, said the disaster should be considered as an act of God which recurrence in future should be prayed against.
Isokobo called on the people to be more vigilant of early warning signs to take precaution for mitigation measures.
He said the donation came from public spirited individual and some corporate organisation
“We have written to the state government and we hope to get other relief materials from them soon,” he said.
The village head, Okon Akpanowong, who thanked the local government and the donors for their concern, said the relief materials would go a long way in alleviating their sufferings.