By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Inspite of the harsh effects of novel Coronavirus lockdown on the economic activities of the people in 2020, the Kwara State Inteternal Revenue Service, KW-IRS, succeeded in the generating N6,227,099,973.42 in the last three months of 2020.
This was revealed by the chairman of the Kwara State revenue generating agency, Mrs. Folashade Omoniyi, at the weekend, while presenting a KW-IRS performance sheet in Iloorin, the state capital and made available to journalists.
A breakdown of the generated income for the fourth quarter showed that in the KW-IRS generated the in October, 2020, sum of N2,765,485,579.54, while it takes into government coffers N1,287,202,252.78 in November, 2020 and N2,183,412,141.10 was realised in December 2020.
According to Mrs Omoniyi, the Service experienced, expectedly, a huge dip in revenue generation in Q2-2020 extending into Q3-2020, which were April, May, June and July, August, September, 2020
The last three months of the year 2020 however, was said to witness a substantial recovery from the crippling effect of the pandemic on businesses and Internally Generated Revenue, IGR.
She revealed that KW-IRS recorded a total revenue of N19, 623,992,033.64, which was 75.48 per cent of the expected N25,997,573,296.00 revenue in the revised annual budget.
She said, “The year 2020 was marked with quick implementation of various measures to cushion the effects of the pandemic on taxpayers, which included the donation of palliatives, extension of the deadline for filing Annual Returns from 31st March to 30th September, 2020.”
She added that a 30% waiver on arrears on ground rent and land charge for property owners and land occupiers, granting of moratorium to informal sector taxpayers, suspension of all enforcement activities, waiver of penalty and interest for High Net Worth Individuals, HNIs, and corporate organisations and over 30 Community Impact Programmes, CIPs, were granted.
She added, “The Service also accelerated the implementation of its automated systems to reduce the amount of contact required with tax payers for optimal revenue generation.
“As evidenced in the recent achievement of $16.9 million in SFTAS Annual Performance Assessment, APA, for 2019/2020 by Kwara State, KW-IRS has ensured accountability and transparency in our internal processes and reporting.
“The Service has also improved significantly in our sequential and systematic reporting through the social, print, and electronic media platforms.”
Omoniyi also said that “the activities of KW-IRS in the year 2020, as well as the remarkable performance recorded, irrespective of the snags caused by months of lockdown, are pointers to our commitment to the welfare of taxpayers and improving the revenue drive of the state.
“However, we are still experiencing a huge incidence of low tax compliance in Kwara State.”
She however promised that “the Service will be implementing a year round sensitization and enforcement sessions to help reduce the incidence of tax evasion and under remittances.”
She further maintained that the year 2021 would also herald continuous automation of all relevant revenue lines which will change the mode of collection in several touch points across the state.
She pleaded, “The Service is appealing to all tax payers to join it in improving IGR to help the administration in 2021.”
