Plateau”s ambitious revenue technology crashes at test run

Several attempts by a consultant to do electronic demonstration of the workability of an ambitious revenue system deployed by the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service (PIRS), have failed, leaving many disappointed. The electronic slide to display the components of the multi-million Naira technology acquired by the service, crashed and refused to pick up after several […]

Several attempts by a consultant to do electronic demonstration of the workability of an ambitious revenue system deployed by the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service (PIRS), have failed, leaving many disappointed.

The electronic slide to display the components of the multi-million Naira technology acquired by the service, crashed and refused to pick up after several trials made during its official unveiling held in Jos, the state capital.

Also, the state governor, Simon Lalong, his deputy, Professor Sonni Tyoden, as well as the state commissioner of Finance, Mrs. Tamwakat Weli, did not show up for the unveiling, compelling the service to stretch the wait for them from between 9am to past 12pm before it was put off.

Chairman of the event to unveil the Smart Revenue System Process (SRSP), Professor Sebastian Maimako, had to severally rise to apologize to few stakeholders present, about the system failure, as well as the conspicuous absence of the governor expected to do the unveiling.

He also expressed disappointed that over two straight weeks of publicity on the official demonstration of the technology, the event could attract only staffs of the service, newsmen, and staffs of the consulting firm, Barnkforte Global Limited.

At about 12:15pm, Professor Maimako announced the postponement of the official demonstration of the new tax technology.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the consulting firm, Bankole Adedayo told newsmen that his firm was not to blame for the system failure, but the management of the service and a consulting firm hired to organise the event.

The chief executive of PIRS, Dashe Arlat said the technology deployed by the firm is a workable one, and pleaded that the failure to demonstrate that should not affect taxpayers’ confidence in the new specialised system which application is expected to ease monitoring and management of revenue in the state.