The newly appointed Executive Chairman, of the Gombe State Board of Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Salisu Baba Alkali, says he intends to focus his tenure on five pillars to increase efficiency in revenue collection.
In an interview with journalists shortly after taking over office from the previous chairman, Mr. Abubakar Inuwa Tata, Mr. Alkali said the five pillars are to improve collection efficiency, create a tax-friendly environment, reorganize the working process of the board, use technology, and incorporate the informal sector into tax range.
Mr. Alkali said doing so would block leakages, which would enhance compliance and make people, accept paying taxes voluntarily, for the overall improvement in the collection of tax and an improved working environment for the staff of the Revenue Service.
“The collection system is not efficient and I intend to make it efficient, by ensuring the payment of direct assessment, which are taxes paid by individuals and enterprises. Enhanced compliance is to make people accept to pay taxes voluntarily, on their own, by creating a tax-friendly environment, where taxpayers will be free to approach the revenue service to ask questions,” said Mr. Alkali.
He said the five pillars would be successfully executed when all tax-paying entities assist the Gombe State Revenue Service through prompt payment of taxes to improve on Government’s income for the execution of projects in the state.
The New Chairman of the Gombe State Revenue commended the staff of the board for the support given to his predecessor while asking them to accord him more support.
In the meantime, Mr. Alkali while taking over leadership of the Board said he will consolidate on the achievements of his predecessor, Inuwa Tata especially in terms of a digital collection of revenue, while expressing the commitment to upholding the trust reposed in him, having headed the board in the past, for nine years from 2003 to 2012.
The New Gombe State Revenue Chairman promised to run an open door policy for better collaboration to improve revenue generation in the state, saying he will consolidate on the achievements of his predecessor, especially in terms of a digital collection of revenue.
Mr. Baba Alkali is a retired Director at the Federal Inland Revenue Service, a financial management and taxation expert, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.
Dominica Nwabufo
