Our Sources of Revenue Have Dried Up — Kaduna Gov’t

Mr. Jerry Adams, the Chairman of KADIRS, highlighted the urgency for creative solutions to uncover revenue streams and prevent losses as traditional sources of income in Kaduna State diminish.

He emphasized a fresh perspective on governance during the introduction of Project CRAFT and the PAYKADUNA PORTAL, stressing that these ventures go beyond technology to bring about significant change.

He elaborated on how this strategy would enable the state to utilize cutting-edge data analysis and automation to boost its revenue generation capabilities, reduce losses, and enhance public service provision.

Over the past 8 years, KADIRS has achieved notable successes, recovering around N20 billion from overdue audits, N18 billion from non-tax income channels (particularly from selling government assets), realizing exchange profits of about N42 billion from foreign loans classified as revenue, and implementing land allocation reforms through the establishment of KADGIS.

Nonetheless, the depletion of resources has occurred as a result of privatizing more than 80 government-owned properties, reduced duty recoveries, and the Federal Government’s introduction of a parallel FOREX regime that eliminated exchange gains as revenue.

Confronted with these obstacles and the substantial state debt burden, it is imperative to prioritize creative solutions to uncover revenue opportunities, enhance accountability, prevent leaks, and broaden the tax base for achieving growth in both depth and breadth.

He emphasized that the introduction of Project CRAFT and the PAYKADUNA PORTAL showcased Governor Uba Sani’s dedication to leading, creativity, transparency, and high standards in reforming public services.

Referring to it as a distinctive approach to managing revenue and a substantial contribution to the state, he highlighted that Project CRAFT, representing Cross-systems for Revenue Administration and Fiscal Transparency, signaled a fresh start in generating and handling revenue for Kaduna State.

The head of KADIRS emphasized that the initiative is crucial for improving service efficiency and ensuring proper collection and accountability of state funds.

Governor Uba Sani, represented by Deputy Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, highlighted the administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability through Project CRAFT and the PAYKADUNA Portal.

Emphasizing the importance of technology in advancing governance, he pledged to utilize innovative solutions for better service delivery.

The governor instructed all leaders of agencies responsible for generating revenue to adopt new tools, emphasizing the importance of all state Ministries, Departments, and Agencies quickly joining the platform and assisting the Kaduna Internal Revenue Service to facilitate a smooth and effective process for collecting revenue.