Ahmed added that whatever comes from the federation account were used in paying salaries and wages.
Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara says the state government now generates about N1.5billion monthly as internally generated revenue.
Ahmed made this known while speaking at a function organised by members of the ‘Third Estate,’ in Ilorin on Tuesday.
The
governor said this was against the monthly revenue of N500 million the
state used to generate before the introduction of new revenue collection
strategy through the State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS).
He
noted that state government must look beyond earnings from the
federation account in order to survive present funding challenges.
According
to the governor, his administration has since changed the process of
revenue generation without introducing new taxes to meet the current
challenges of infrastructural development.
“I
am happy that the consciousness has come to us as a country, as a state
and most importantly as a government that we cannot continue to depend
on federation allocations.
“Hence, we have been able to drive our internally generated revenue by changing the process and the personnel,” he explained.
He
said that the state government would have been in dire financial
challenges but for the increased internally generated revenue.
Ahmed added that whatever comes from the federation account were used in paying salaries and wages.
The
governor added that his government has resolved not to lay off workers
at state and local government in order not to compound the prevailing
difficulties.
Ahmed said as part of his
administration’s effort to drive agriculture as money earner for the
state, it has earmarked 10, 000 hectares of land for next farming season
to deepen the administration’s off- taker demand driven initiative in
agriculture.
Earlier in his remarks, the chairman, Third Estate, Dr Yusuf Lawal, said the body has rendered community support to the people.
Lawal
listed such support to include provision of borehole, financial
assistance to indigent students and scholarship to brilliant students
for post graduates studies from Ilorin Emirate.
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