The Plateau Internal Revenue Service (PIRS) generated N1.699 billion in August and N1.5 billion in September, according to its Chairman, Jim Pam.
Pam disclosed this on Wednesday in Jos when the Plateau House of Assembly Committee on Public Accounts and Petitions visited PIRS for an oversight function.
The chairman said the service was working towards blocking leakages to shore up the state’s internal revenue profile.
He told the committee that leakages hurt both the service and the state.
His words: “If we do not generate enough or adequate revenue, you cannot execute your constituency projects and the pressure would be on you in different areas.
“The internal revenue stimulates economic activities; if we allow leakages, there will be no revenue and government activities will be grounded.
“As a service, we are charting a new course. Going forward, we shall work to the best of our ability to drive the process and increase the numbers.
“Thankfully, the numbers have started increasing from when I took over. In August, we got N1.699 billion. At the close of September, we got N1.5 billion.
“I believe the numbers will keep increasing but, of course, the economy generally is not doing so well at the moment.
“Again, these are not peak periods for revenue collections, however, we’re trying to see what we can do and I am sure by next year when everything will stabilise, we will start hitting N4 billion every month.
“We believe that with the technology we’re trying to deploy, and the renewed attitude we are trying bring into the service, things will move forward for the better,” he stated.
Pam told the committee that the revenue service was transparent and its books were always open for the lawmakers to always check.
Assemblyman Azi Madaki, who doubles as Chairman of Public Accounts and Petitions Committee, said the visit was to assess the activities of the service in line with the committee’s mandate.
Madaki said that the visit was also to ensure that activities of all formations in the state were transparent and in accordance with the laid down procedures.
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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes the committee Secretary, Nicholas Barry, as telling all Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) visited that they were duty-bound to submit quarterly financial reports to the committee.
Barry said that such would help the committee in making decisions concerning the MDAs for the good of the state.
Among MDAs the committee visited are the Ministries of Finance, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and the Office of the Auditor General of the State and that of the Local Government.
