Date: 2017-04-09

Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara says taxation remains the panacea to the challenge of infrastructure in the country.

Ahmed stated this in Ilorin on Saturday in his address at the 2017 Annual Tax Awards of the Ilorin District Society of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.

The governor, who was represented by Alhaji Abdulwasiu Odewale, the state's Commissioner for Planning and Economic Development, said payment of taxes would enable government pay workers and execute capital project.

"As you are all aware, payment of taxes is a civil duty that we must all carry out.

"This is because taxes enable state governments to provide public services such as health, education and infrastructure to its citizens.

"It also ensures that government is able to pay the salaries of government workers.

"However, despite the importance of tax payment, many people shy away from performing this obligation due to socio-economic and institutional factors such as economic and employment status, perception of the government amongst others.

"These factors make tax collection rather challenging for the government.

"In order to remedy this situation, we put in place various strategies to ensure citizens understand the importance of tax payment and willingly perform their obligations.

"To this end, we established the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) with the mandate to block all leakages in the revenue collection system and increase the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

"The new KWIRS adapted new technology and processes to ensure that the tax system is fair, transparent and credible.

"This helped greatly in guaranteeing the people's had faith in the KWIRS," he said.

He explained that the new revenue service generated in 2016 thrice of what the defunct Board of Internal Generated Revenue in 2015.

"With the increase in the state’s internally generated revenue, coupled with our reduced cost of governance, my administration has been able to ensure timely payment of workers' salaries and pensions, commence various capital projects and deliver on our obligations to the people.

"Let me use this opportunity to assure Kwarans that my administration will continue to put in place policies that will ensure prosperity for all,' he said.

In his opening address, Alhaji Salaudeen Ibrahim, the state chairman of institute, said the awardees were selected based on their excellent and outstanding performances on tax-related matters in their various fields of endeavours.

He noted that the efforts of the awardees were of crucial importance to the institute as a stakeholder and professional body statutorily empowered to regulate revenue related matters, particularly taxation practice in Nigeria.

Ibrahim, however, urged the governor to redeem his pledge to donate a bus to the institute.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the institute presented the governor with the Tax Personality of the Year Award.