By Mustapha Usman, Kano
The Kano State government has recruited 765 tax officers, targeting N10billion monthly Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, by the year 2018.
This was Monday revealed by the state’s commissioner of Finance, Kabiru Dandago, at the official presentation of letters of appointment to 765 newly recruited staff of the Kano State Internal Revenue Service, KIRS, at the government house.
According to Mr Dandago, the KIRS had targeted N5 billion monthly revenues by the end of 2017, charging the newly recruited tax officers to brace up for the huge challenge of realising the money on monthly basis.
He further told the new recruits that their salary was revenue dependant as the agency had become autonomous, urging them to rise up to expectations to generate revenue for the state and for their welfare.
“We want you to generate N5 billion monthly this year. 2018 is the year of N10billion revenue, so you should brace up to this huge task facing you.
“This is because the KIRS has become autonomous. It must source income by itself. So the more you generate revenue the more Kano gets income and the more you get salary,” Mr Dandago said.
In his remarks, the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, expressed resolve to provide enabling environment for the newly employed officers to meet their target.
He implored them to be diligent in their duties, calling on the public to endeavor to pay their taxes to enable the government deliver development projects to the citizenry.
He commended the KIRS for overhauling the system to meet international standard, adding that the reform was in tandem with the government’s developmental agenda.
Earlier in a remark, the KIRS chairman, Sani Dambo, said the successful candidates were selected based on merit.
He said the recruitment was part of his resolve to reform the revenue generating body in a bid to make Kano stand on its feet in the wake of economic recession in the country.
“KIRS is in dire need of reform for Kano to survive the current economic turmoil, hence the recruitment of 765 young male and female graduates,” Mr Dambo said.
“Your excellency, I assure you that these new employees would realise your dream of making Kano a revenue hub of the northern Nigeria.”
