The Plateau Internal Revenue Service (PIRS) generated N1.699 billion in August and is working towards N4 billion monthly, its chairman, Jim Pam, said on Wednesday in Jos.

Mr Pam said this when the Plateau House of Assembly Committee on Public Accounts and Petitions visited PIRS. The chairman said the service was working towards blocking leakages to shore up the state’s internal revenue profile.

He told the committee that leakages hurt both the service and the state.

“If we do not generate enough or adequate revenue, you cannot execute your constituency projects and the pressure would be on you in different areas. The internal revenue stimulates economic activities. If we allow leakages, there will be no revenue and government activities will be grounded,” Mr Pam explained.

The PIRS chief added, “As a service, we are charting a new course. Going forward, we shall work to the best of our ability to drive the process and increase the numbers. Thankfully, the numbers have started increasing from when I took over. In August, we got N1.699 billion. At the close of September, we got N1.5 billion.”

He disclosed that the PIRS would do everything possible next year to “start hitting N4 billion every month.”

“We believe that with the technology we’re trying to deploy and the renewed attitude we are trying to bring into the service, things will move forward for the better,” he stated.

Mr Pam told the committee that the revenue service was transparent and its books were always open for the lawmakers to check.

Azi Madaki, the Public Accounts and Petitions Committee chair, said the visit was to assess the activities of the service in line with the committee’s mandate.

Mr Madaki said the visit was also to ensure that activities of all formations in the state were transparent and in accordance with the laid-down procedures.

(NAN)