Anambra loses 50 per cent of revenue to touts, leakage – Official…

About 50 per cent of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) accruable to the Anambra State Government is lost to leakages and activities of revenue thieves.

Christian Madubuko, executive director in charge of Operations at the Anambra Internal Revenue Service (AIRS), disclosed this in an interview in Awka on Wednesday.

Mr Madubuko, who is the leader of AIRS revenue mobilisation team, said the state was making just about ₦2 billion monthly out of the ₦4 billion potential profile.

He said the government had discovered the diversion of state taxes through the fraudulent configuration of a retail banking agent which had been blacklisted.

He said investigation was ongoing to identify the beneficiaries of the fraud with the aim of bringing them to book, adding that the police, State Security Service and other intelligence agencies had swung into action.

Mr Madubuko said that no fewer than 20 illegal revenue collectors had been arrested and handed over to the police, and that they had been making useful confessions that would lead to the apprehension of those they were working for.

He said those involved in the “sabotage” were “enemies of government” who would be prosecuted at the State Revenue Court.

Mr Madubuko said the AIRS was working to maximise IGR collection without inflicting additional pain on the masses.

He expressed worry over the complaints of intimidation and extortion by some people under the guise of enforcing traffic laws.