Date: 2017-12-13

Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, KWIRS, has said the recently-concluded local government elections, among other challenges, prevented it from meeting it's set target of N30 billion in the outgoing year. Executive Chairman of the agency, Dr. Muritala Awodun, who said the KWIRS had so far raked in N18.2 billion, against N17.2 realised in 2016, listed other factors as the present socio-economic situation and political pressures in the state.

Awodun spoke at a briefing in Ilorin, yesterday. He said: "Our target is to hit N24 billion. However, we are hoping to hit N20 billion at the end of the year. There is nothing stopping the state from hitting N30 billion annually."

He explained that the agency had to relax its operations during the election to discourage possible allegations of blackmail against the government establishment.

Dr. Awodun, who also said that the agency was being considerate and sensitive to the current socio-economic plight of the people, added that there should be significant improvement in tax payment if the needed infrastructure is available.

He also listed challenges of the Single Treasury Account, TSA, and enu-meration of taxable adults and corporate entities.

The KWIRS boss said people did not willingly pay tax in the state, adding that the agency had resorted to waiting for them to come for government services to ask for the payment of their tax.