By Peter Duru

MAKURDI—Benue State has set a target of N1.5 billion as its monthly internally-generated revenue, IGR, to augment its dwindling allocation from federation accounts.

Gov Samuel Ortom of Benue State

The new Executive Chairman of the state’s Board of Internal Revenue, BIRS, Mrs. Mimi Adzape-Orubibi, made this known yesterday, when officials of the board paid a familiarization visit to the State Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Makurdi.

She said the board had been saddled with the responsibility of financing the state’s annual budget for the next fiscal year, stressing that the new revenue target would be achieved when all loopholes in the state’s revenue collection drive were blocked.

Mrs. Adzape-Orubibi said: “Our monthly target is now N1.5 billion. This is achievable, because we are bringing in new innovations in tax payment. We will introduce the use of Point of Sale, PoS, and other electronic payment devices in the collection of revenue and taxes to check malpractices.

“We urge all organizations, government agencies and ministries, including the Bureau, who are owing and not up to date with their tax remittances to the board, to do so or we may be compelled to invoke the necessary laws.”