The Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KDIRS) has said that it collected about N30 billion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from January to December, 2018.

The Executive Chairman of the agency, Alhaji Mukhtar Ahmed, gave the figure while inaugurating InterSwitch State office in Kaduna.

Ahmed said the figure represented over 145 per cent increase within the last three years, that is between 2015 and 2018 fiscal years.

“The deliberate government policies and legislative backing by the State House of Assembly helped the growth of the IGR from N11.8bn in 2015 to N26.53 billion in 2017, showing more than 145 per cent increase within three years.“

The state government had targeted N42 billion for 2018, but was able to generate only about N30 billion at the end of the year.

Ahmed attributed the growth in revenue generation to the collaboration between the agency and InterSwitch Networks, that provided the state with solution and technology for revenue tracking.

The policy made all payments compulsory on the InterSwitch “Pay Direct Platform“adopted by the State Government in addition to the Treasury Single Account (TSA) system.

Chinyere Don-Okhuofo, Divisional Chief Executive Officer, Interswitch Networks said the organisation was ready to provide more services and innovations to the state government to enhance its revenue generation.

Don-Okhuofo said Interswitch was already engaged in a pilot programme to automate two of the 33 hospitals in the state to enable it make direct payment into the State Government accounts.

She also pledged the company’s readiness to provide a new service to enhance the transport system of the state in addition to other new innovations.

According to her, Interswitch decided to open its office in Kaduna State to bring such services closer to the government to fast track revenue growth as well as to ensure effective service delivery.

She said the effort would equally boost the financial inclusion of the people of the state to reduce poverty.

She commended the Kaduna government for being visionary and fast in executing revenue policies, adding that the state is among the 33 states of the federation collaborating Interswitch Networks.