By Mike Adeyemi
In line with the recent call by the Kwara State Government for local governments in the state to improve on their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Ilorin West Local Government Area has fashioned out plans to generate over N130 million in 2018 fiscal year.
This was disclosed by the Chairperson of the council, Hajia Romoke Omodara during a chat with Pilot Business in her office.
According to Omodara, “Ilorin West Local Government Area generated over N54 million in revenue for 2017 through the assistance of Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS), and we have concluded all plans to improve and leverage on this as we have as target N130 million for 2018 fiscal year”.
She lamented that the latent raw potentials in LGAs have not been exploited, saying that the local councils are sitting on good mines.
“If not for the wisdom of Kwara Internal Revenue Service that has taught us to look beyond our nose in terms of Internally Generated Revenue, we won’t have discovered these viable areas.
“Before now, all we do is to collect rent on lease properties of the local government, not knowing that occupants of such property are entitled to tenement rate too.
”These are many revenue virgin areas we have to tap for optimum growth and development in each local council, Omodara explain.
She said no meaningful development could take place where there is inadequate taxes.
Omodara noted that taxation and its application for development has stood Lagos State in good stead in terms of growth and development.
“Lagos State has long been matured in terms of revenue generation thus the reason the state is growing economical. But here, we are just accustomed to the benefit and imperativeness of this fiscal policy.”
She commended Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed for his concern for the welfare of LG workers and promised to offset their salary backlog.
Omodara stated that the governor charged the LG bosses to stop financial leakages, which has yielded advantage as all the local government areas in the state were able to pay full salary for December and January.
She, therefore appealed to tax payers in the state to strictly comply with tax payment.
“Evading taxes is criminal, punishable under the law, as the solution to drop in federal allocation to the state can better be augmented by IGR,” she explained.
On her electioneering campaign promises, Omodara said “We have started implementing all our promises. Part of which was the procurement of JAMB forms to indigent students in all the 12 wards in Ilorin West Local Government and water supply through provision of borehole.
She further said part of her programme for the local government is the revamping of the Primary Health Care.
