Determined to improve the internally generated revenue of the state, Governor of Osun, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola has pledged the support of the state government to the Chairman and entire board of the Osun Internal Revenue Service(OIRS) to ensure a significant boost in the state’s IGR.
He said the state government is ready to approve and support new ideas and strategies of the revenue board because of the need to quickly shore up the state’s income for the benefit of all.
The governor spoke through the Supervisor for Finance, Mr Bola Oyebamiji while charging the new Chairman of the Osun Internal Revenue Service, Mr Gbite Ademikanra at the weekly meeting of the finance conglomerate held at the conference room of the ministry of finance.
The governor said it is important to come up with innovative ideas to raise the state’s IGR because of the increasing need to take care of the social security and welfare of the people which he described as the major reason why government is in place.
Oyetola who stressed that the current government in Osun will continue to be people oriented however charged residents to cooperate with government through appropriate payment of taxes and levies for government to succeed, saying this is the only way government can be held accountable.
He said, “It is important for us to come up with new ideas and strategies to improve our internally generated revenue as a state. We can’t be comfortable with where we are presently, it is still very far behind from what the state needs, we need more to make life better for our people.
“I am charging you as the chairman of OIRS to drive your people to perform, as a government we are ready to back you with all the support that you require, we don’t ever want to go back to the era of modulated salaries, therefor all hands must be on deck to ensure that we don’t experience that ever again.
“As a government, we have tailored our policies towards what the people need, the major business of government is social investments and the provision of security. We are not going back on this because that is what we have promised our people and we need money to do it.
“Our people expect so much from us, it is because of them that we are in office and we can’t afford to disappoint them, we already know what they need and that is what we will give them”. The governor stated.
Reacting, the Chairman, OIRS, Mr Gbite Ademikanra who assured the governor of improved revenue thanked the state helmsman for approving all the new strategies for revenue generation that the board has come up with.
According to the chairman, “I know that Osun needs improved revenue, I know that I can’t seat in my office and expect money to come in, I am not going to seat in my office. I am going out with my people and with the cooperation which we have already gotten from government, we are going to improve the revenue of this state.
“We already have the strategies and I am happy that we have the full backing of government, we don’t have any room for excuses than to deliver and I am giving the assurance that our revenue will improve”. He said.
