By Anietie Akpan
The Cross River State Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has hit an all time high of N46 billion.
Flaunting this high performance, the State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu disclosed that with commitment and good strategy put in place, his administration has significantly boosted the state’s IGR .
While the inaugurating the newly renovated Calabar 1 tax office at IBB way in Calabar on Wednesday, the governor said generating revenue does not stop with collecting taxes from the people but also giving the people the dividends of collecting the taxes.
The governor who was represented by, the State’s Commissioner for Finance Mr Mike Odere, said that the state’s IGR has increased by 209 percent in the last 18 months and this feat was achieved not by increasing taxes but because the state became more efficient in tax collection.
“We collect our taxes in a way that will not affect the taxpayers negatively and we have leveraged on technology to automate all our processes which has reduced income leakages through pilfering”, he said.
The governor noted that before now, “we had a tax office that does not do everything, but today, it is a one-stop-shop, meaning you can do everything you want as far as tax collection is concerned, in the office”.
Similarly, the Chairman, Cross River IRS, Mr Edwin Okon said “in December 2022, the state’s IGR stood at N22 billion but as at December 2024, the present administration in the state had grown the IGR to N46 billion”.
While appreciating the governor for the achievement, Okon called on the staff of the service to ensure that the target given to them for 2025 was surpassed.
“For 2025 we will surprise the governor, I have told my team that we will work to beat the target we were given as an agency. We are also happy that everyone can see what the governor is doing with the tax in the state,” he noted.
On his part, Member representing Boki 2 in the Cross River House of Assembly, Mr Hilary Bisong, commended the governor and the IRS for the developmental strides.
According to him, in the last few months, the revenue of the state had increased geometrically adding that in 2024 one of the tax offices in the state was renovated in Akamkpa.
He added that the House will continue to partner with the IRS to harmonise all the taxes in the state while urging the service not to hesitate to call on the House in areas where they desire improvements.
Recall that the Calabar 1 tax office along IBB Way in Calabar had been in a bad shape with a dilapidated building which became worse when a massive wind blew off part of the building’s roof but today that is history.
