Bauchi State House of Assembly has passed a bill seeking to harmonise, integrate, consolidate and fence leakages in the state’s internally generated revenues into law.
The House unanimously voted and passed the bill into law to collate and centralise all revenues collectible by ministries, departments, agencies and local governments in Bauchi State after Speaker of the house Rt. Honourable Abubakar Y Sulaiman puts them to voting.
This follows the submission of the house’s standing committee on finance in a plenary presided over by the Speaker of the House Rt Honourable Abubakar Y Sulaiman yesterday.
The Chairman house Committee on finance, honourable Dan’umma Bello, Giade had earlier moved for the adoption of the entire report of his committee in cognisance with its implications to the government and socio-economic welfare of the state.
Honourable Dan’umma says ” the committee discovered multiple tax collections by agencies and administrations which led to double taxation, hence the need to harmonise them to ensure fiscal transparency in the collection, administration of taxes in Bauchi State and enhance revenue collection from all government agencies and parastatals.”
The bill, he adds will help curb “all leakages associated with collectible revenues.”
However, the committee cited taxation data paucity in the state which informs the need for government to expedite awareness crusade on the accrued benefits of the bill on the state’s fiscal administration.
“In all intends and purposes, the bill contained sufficient modalities to provide smooth, effective and efficient implementation guidelines as well as coordinated revenue administration,” honourable Dan’ umma said.
“The bill complied with the Fiscal Responsibility Act and Medium Term Expenditure Framework that conforms to International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) applied all over the world,” the chairman explains.
The house adjourned its sitting to June 22nd when the second session of the assembly will commence.
