The Imo Internal Revenue Service (IIRS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with authorities in the 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state on revenue collection harmonisation.
A statement issued on Wednesday by Mr Emma Alozie, Head of Corporate Communications, IIRS stated that the MoU was signed on Tuesday between the Chairman of the revenue service, Mr Justice Okoye and the LGA chairmen.
Alozie stated that the event was chaired by the governor’s Special Adviser on Bureau of Local Governments, Mrs Rubby Emele.
Present at the ceremony were the state Commissioner for Finance, Mr Chuck Chukwuemeka and the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr Simon Ebegbulem.
Others were the the Special Assistant to the governor on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and 19 of the 27 LGA chairmen in the state.
According to the statement, Emele said that the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the state government and the 27 LGAs was to increase the internally generated revenue of the state.
“It is important for us to partner to increase the IGR. The dwindling revenue caused by the global pandemic has made this synergy very important,” she said.
On his part, Chukwuemeka reiterated the need for the revenue collection in the state to be harmonised in order to have a seamless collection exercise.
He thanked the LG chairmen for their steadfastness and promptness in responding as well as for signing the MOU in good time, describing it as a “win-win” for all concerned.
While Ebegbulem said that the MoU would calm frayed nerves and restore confidence in revenue collection, Okoye however, expressed his appreciation for those who worked assiduously to see to the successful signing of the MoU.
He pleaded with the LGA chairmen to assist the state government in driving the implementation.
Speaking on behalf of the chairmen, Willie Okolie-Ogwo, the Chairman, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in Imo and chairman of Imo West LGA, thanked the IIRS for the initiative.
He said with the new arrangement, the burden of revenue collection would shift from the LGAs to the state adding that with the support of LGAs, revenue mobilisation in Imo would attain a milestone. (NAN)
