Akwa Ibom commissioner for finance, Mr Nsikan Linus Nkan, has charged all relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in the state to collaborate with the Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service (AKIRS) in enforcing the full compliance by taxpayers in the maritime sub-sector to boost the state’s IGR.
Mr Nkan gave the charge during a joint meeting of AKIRS with maritime-related MDAs at the Revenue House, Udo Udoma Avenue, Central Business District, Uyo, recently.
He also commended the Board of Internal Revenue for the superlative performance in growing the state’s IGR to an enviable position within few years of inauguration of the board.
The finance commissioner further emphasized on the need to focus on IGR growth in order to fund the state’s budget, especially in this era of dwindling revenue allocation from the Federal Government occasioned by the fall in oil price.
He called for the adoption of the recommendations contained in the report submitted by the Technical Committee on Maritime Revenue initiated by AKIRS.
In his opening remark, the executive chairman of AKIRS, Mr. Okon Okon, applauded the committee for its efforts at finding solutions to the required synergy by AKIRS and relevant MDAs in order to optimize IGR from the maritime sector in Akwa Ibom State.
He noted that about 90 per cent of the state’s revenue including oil revenue comes from our waters since crude oil from Akwa Ibom State is largely offshore. He however regretted that MDAs’ contribution to total IGR in the state remains significantly below average.
Mr Okon further said that IGR has become a key economic indicator in contemporary times.
In attendance at the meeting were the commissioner for environment and petroleum resources, commissioner for transport and solid minerals, commissioner for economic development and Ibom Deep Seaport and commissioner for agriculture and women affairs represented by their permanent secretaries.
The maritime-related revenue committee members are drawn from AKIRS, Ministry of Environment and Petroleum Resources, Ministry of Transport, Ministry Economic Development and Ibom Deep Seaport and Ministry of Agriculture and Women Affairs.
The meeting was wrapped up with inspection of newly acquired vehicles by the AKIRS Board to strengthen their capacity for revenue drive and enforcement.
