Yobe bars revenue agents from handling cash

The Yobe State Government has introduced a cashless tax collection system, prohibiting revenue agents and tax collectors from receiving cash payments as part of efforts to improve transparency, block leakages and boost internally generated revenue (IGR). The Executive Chairman of the Yobe State Internal Revenue Service (YIRS), Alhaji Suleiman Bakura, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ […]

The Yobe State Government has introduced a cashless tax collection system, prohibiting revenue agents and tax collectors from receiving cash payments as part of efforts to improve transparency, block leakages and boost internally generated revenue (IGR).

The Executive Chairman of the Yobe State Internal Revenue Service (YIRS), Alhaji Suleiman Bakura, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement on Ease of Doing Business reforms held in Damaturu.

The engagement was organised under the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in collaboration with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).

Represented by the Head of Information and Intelligence Unit of the Service, Mr Nasiru Habu Kiri, Bakura said taxpayers are now required to make all payments through approved electronic channels, including bank transfers, Point of Sale (PoS) terminals and other designated digital platforms.

He said the reform was aimed at strengthening accountability in revenue administration, ensuring proper documentation of payments and eliminating opportunities for fraud and diversion of public funds.

Earlier, the Director-General of PEBEC, Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, said the council was undertaking a nationwide assessment of business environment reforms across states to identify challenges and opportunities for improvement.

She said the exercise was aimed at strengthening reforms and enhancing the ease of doing business in Yobe State and across the country.

Also speaking, the Secretary of the Yobe State Ease of Doing Business Council (SABER), Hajiya Amina Galadima, said the government had recorded progress in reviving dormant state-owned enterprises, including some jointly owned with Borno State, such as FOMA North East.

Galadima added that prospective investors were already engaging with the Yobe State Agency for Public-Private Partnership and Investment Promotion and had completed due diligence visits as part of plans to invest in the state.