Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has launched the Universal Health Coverage scheme to ease the burden of medical expenses of residents through a standard healthcare system.
Speaking during the event, yesterday, Governor Ugwuanyi said his government had provided N200million for the take off of the program. He also said 50 new doctors and other health professionals had been hired to ensure the success of the project.
Ugwuanyi, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof, Simon Otuanya, said that the health sector had remained a key focus of the administration as reflected in the huge budgetary allocation annually.
Meanwhile, the state government has announced measures to expand its tax net and plug revenue leakages while ensuring sustainable growth of its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Chairman, Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS), Mr. Emeka Odo, stated this, yesterday, during the tax payers’ education and enlightenment campaign. The event also featured the investiture of Chief Paschal Okolie as the 4th chairman of the Enugu branch of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN).
According to Odo, some of the measures adopted by government to boost IGR include early adoption of treasury single account, direct lodgement system, automated assessment, collection, financial reporting and issuance of receipts for businesses transacted with the state.
Other measures taken include tax payers’ enlightenment programmes and streamlining overlapping revenue laws.
“In Enugu the current administration has been implementing an ambitious four point development agenda to transform the state.
“The implementation of this agenda requires that government harness all the potential sources of internally generated revenues in the state without putting additional pressure on the people,” he said.
Okolie assured that CITN would work harmoniously with the state revenue board and other revenue collection agencies to ensure improved revenue collection and accounting.