Bayelsa State government has recorded ₦1.3 billion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in September, the Deputy Governor, retired Rear Admiral John Jonah, said on Friday.
Breaking the state’s financial statement for the month of September in Yenagoa, Jonah said the state had realised about ₦1.3 as IGR while in August, the state had generated ₦868.58 million.
The deputy governor attributed the increase to tax reforms, which hiked tax drive on oil firms operating in the state. He noted that the state Board of Internal Revenue was compelled to approach the courts to seal some companies that defaulted in paying their taxes.
Jonah added that the development had also increased the cost of collecting the huge revenue to ₦88 million.
On the revenue accrued to state from Federation Account for September, the deputy governor said Bayelsa had received ₦12.1 billion as against ₦9.94 billion in August.
Jonah said total deductions in September amounted to ₦1.8 billion as against the ₦1.7 billion deducted in August, leaving the state with a net inflow of ₦8.28 billion.
He said that the wage bill of the state for August salary captured in September’s statement stood at ₦3.7 billion for civil servants while ₦298 million was spent on the emoluments of political appointees.