Kwara Revenue Agency Generates N6.279bn In Q1

The Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) said it recorded a total sum of N6.279bn as revenue generated in the first quarter (Q1) of 2019.

The executive chairman of the revenue agency, Prof. Murtala Awodun disclosed this in Ilorin, during to a media chat.

He said the agency generated N2.16 billion in January, N1.76 billion in February and N2.38 billion in March 2019.

Awodun, who said the revenue agency was yet to achieve its target of generating an annual N60 billion revenue of N5 billion monthly, however, said the service has been developed to a point that it would not make less than an average of N2 billion every month.

Awodun, said the agency, which started with N17.2 billion annual revenue generation in 2016, and N19.6 in 2017 and generated a total sum of N23.1 billion last year.

He said inauguration of the agency in 2016, had prevented abandoned projects in the state with monthly contribution of N500million into the state infrastructure fund (IF-K) for completion and initiation of new infrastructural projects.

Awodun, who said the state government had augmented monthly federal allocation with proceeds of the revenue agency to pay workers salary, added that the measure was made possible through ingenious financial engineering of the agency.

Speaking on delay in completion of ongoing under-pass project in the Ilorin metropolis, he attributed it to complications initially factored in the project, including 2019 electioneering activities.

He said some heavy underground water pipes were discovered on the construction site, adding that the contractor had to depend on other experts for technicalities before work could resume on the project.

He also debunked speculation over alleged invitation of staff of the revenue agency by the Economic and Financial Crime and other related offences Commission (EFCC) on financial investigations, saying that no staff of the agency was invited for arrested by the anti-graft agency.