THE relocation of Borno State Internal Revenue Services (BOIRS) to Ramat Shopping Complex of Maiduguri Business District Area (MBDA) was strategic for clients to have unimpeded access to revenue collection offices to raise more internally generated revenues (IGR) for the state government, Permanent Secretary of BOIRS, Alhaji Kolomi Mutah has said.
Mutah said in Maiduguri while commissioning the new revenue office at Ramat Shopping complex, amid the applauses of several revenue and tax collection agencies in the state.
He said that with the relocation of office, staff and their clients will have a very “good working relationship” in paying all taxes and other genuine charges regularly to boost IGR.
His words: “The Maiduguri Revenue Office that has just been relocated is the oldest of all our zonal offices in Borno state. It’s over 30 years old. It is an institution in the Board of Internal Revenue. Most of us you’re seeing in the board must have one time or the other worked in Maiduguri revenue office.
“This has never been a suitable office accommodation. We have always been in rented quarters and of late in a government owned building that has been already sold out to an individual. As a result, we had to look for an alternative office accommodation.”
He also added: “Office accommodation is one important condition of service with very ideal office to boost staff morale and efficiency in the explorations and collection of revenues and other taxes from clients.
“We have done that at Bolori revenue office; and we are going to the Customs revenue office to do the same thing and make sure that before the year runs out; we ensure that all our area offices are properly renovated.”
On choice of new office location, Mutah said: “The choice of Ramat Shopping Complex for Maiduguri Revenue Office was property studied.
This is a business district area of Maiduguri metropolis; where we deal with self-employed individuals, and some corporate organisations.
The entire office around this place is shops, stores and our clients.”
He urged the staff of the revenue board to work strongly with the people, and encourage them to pay their taxes regularly, without any failures.
“And those who are not to be encouraged; to come on their own and register with you,” counselled Mutah on paying taxes with ease.
On import of new office, he said: “This area office covers the largest part of Maiduguri. In fact, it is the office that covers the Business District Area (BDA) of Maiduguri.
The BDA gave birth to three other revenue offices at Bolori, Customs Area, Bulunkutu and Maiduguri Monday Market.”
He therefore; called on clients of other revenue offices to be self-compliant in paying their taxes to the board regularly; adding that such taxes could be paid at the nearest revenue board office in the state.
On the need to generate more revenue, he said: “The economic situation in this country is all known to us, because of the sharp fall in oil prices at the international market by more than 50 per cent since last August. All hands must therefore on deck to improve on generation of internal revenues, so as to complement the falling oil revenues that accrue to monthly Federation Accounts Allocations at national level.”
