The Chairman of the Gombe State Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Abubakar Tata, has stated that the state has the potential to increase its monthly revenue to N2 billion, doubling the current N1 billion generated by the government, News About Nigeria gathered.
Tata made this announcement during a two-day quarterly Public Financial Management roundtable organised by the USAID State2State in collaboration with the State Fiscal Responsibility Commission.
Tata highlighted the factors necessary for achieving this revenue boost, including the autonomy of the service, an improved workforce, the establishment of an independent Information Communication Technology platform, and strong political will.
He said, “Gombe has the capacity to generate at least N2 billion monthly. This will happen after four things; autonomy of the service, improved workforce, those currently there are aged and they are lacking the needed energy, creativity, the service needs independent Information Communication Technology platform and strong political will.”
He emphasised the importance of sustaining reforms initiated by the USAID State2State program, expressing gratitude for the support, encouragement, and resilience provided by the organization.
The Gombe State Fiscal Responsibility Commission chairman acknowledged the role played by the Internal Revenue Service in working towards a target of about N1 billion per month.
However, he noted the need for additional reforms to harness the state’s full revenue-generating potential.
Public Financial Management Specialist of State2State in Gombe, Oluwatosin Oke, echoed Tata’s sentiments, emphasising that the state has the capacity to generate more revenue monthly to drive development.
Oke highlighted the discussions at the roundtable, revealing that the state’s revenue in 2022 was approximately N13 billion, averaging around N1 billion per month.
Mohammed Bello-Abubakar, the State Team Lead, emphasised the intervention’s purpose in conducting quarterly Public Financial Management roundtables to review Gombe State Government’s reform efforts.
He stressed the need for sustained efforts by the government to prevent any setbacks in the positive reforms and ensure continued success.
