Lagos Earns N120Bn from e-Service

Lagos State Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) hit some N120 billion in 2008, thanks to the burgeoning operational efficiency occasioned by the use of information technology in the state accounting system. The figure is up from the paltry N7.2 billion in 1999.
Tunde Fowler, chairman, Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek that the state rakes in some N10 billion every month up from N600 million in 1999.
The board has since overcome the initial challenges of effectively managing the business of government particularly in the area of operational activities, revenue generation and electronic information dissemination between offices.
This complete transformation is known as e-service and it took the courage and determination of the state government to completely reengineer the system.
With the development, the Lagos State is also on track to increase its IGR for 2009 and is happy with the role of information technology in the collection of all revenues accruable from land charges, vehicle license, personal income tax, property tax, business premises, and capital gain, among others.
Before now, inaccurate database for all critical business information made ineffective management of government activities, including records relating to revenue collection, education, health, housing and the environment.
But Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue has created designated points where Lagosians can make payment online by simply walking in and making payment after which he will be issued with an e-card which he takes to where the payment is required.
This system allows the payee to have a personal record of his payments into the government purse. The system affords the payee convenient and easy access to make payment into the government treasury unlike the previous method that was prone to abuse.