by Hamisu Muhammad
The new administration of Kano state has unveiled plans to restructure the revenue sources of the state to reduce reliance on the crude oil revenue, the Commissioner of Finance, Professor Kabiru I. Dandago has said.
Speaking yesterday at a lecture organized by Ra ‘ayi Social Media Group to mark Sallah Celebration at Mambayya House, Kano , Prof. Dandago said the administration of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has planned to convert the Kano economy from crude oil-based to productivity-based using tax and non-tax revenues sources to achieve its objectives.
He said the new administration discovered that reliance on oil revenue is not promoting productivity but encouraging corruption all over the world.
“No member of Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is rated a developed country and most of them are classified as corruption-inflicted nations, many of them in civil war and suffering from “crisis of confidence.”
“There are many sources of generating revenue for the execution of various developmental projects, but taxation remains the most reliable and durable source from beginning of human collective endeavor to date.”
Some of the plans unveiled by the new administration, according to the commissioner are: Complete overhaul of the State Inland Revenue Service (SIRS) to make it professionally competent and dependent on its performance for the remuneration of its staff, institutionalization of Single Revenue Account to capture all tax and non-tax revenues monthly and make the SIRS the only collecting platforms for all the tax and non-tax revenues accruing to the state government.
Others are to ensure that all revenue sources in all the MDAs of the state are utilized to an optimum level, ensure that more projects that would better the lots of the people are executed by the government to fulfill its campaign promises and to ensure that the policy thrust of the government is built on the principles of fear of Allah, transparency, accountability and prudence.
Professor Dandago identified too many baskets /pockets collecting generated revenue, neglect of many revenue sources especially those at MDAs, under capacity utilization of some revenue sources and weak structural, institutional, legal and personnel commitment as few of the challenges of taxation in Nigerian.
