PDP governors, budget minister seek alternative revenue sources for states

Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday advocated alternative revenue sources for their states and the entire country apart from oil and gas earnings. They hinted that they were already preparing themselves with creative ideas and solutions to improve their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) so that when the Federal Government fails to share as much as it was doing now, they would still be in a position to fulfill their fiscal and development obligations.

Director General of PDP Governors’ Forum, Osaro Onaiwu, who spoke on behalf of the state chief executives at the IGR Summit for PDP states in Abuja yesterday said: “As the world begins to move away from Petroleum products, it means we can no longer continue to depend on crude oil revenues alone.

“This is because in the near future Nigeria may not have buyers for its oil and that is why it has become critical for states to find creative ways to generate additional revenues internally.”

They, however, cautioned against indiscriminate increase in taxes, adding: “This is not to be mistaken for a call for more taxes, but rather, a call to begin to think out of the box in preparation for such a time when Abuja cannot share as much as it does.”

Commending the Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa for hosting the South South Police Regional Summit, Onaiwu said what that meant was that PDP governors believe in peace and not violence and as such has help the states to develop.

Responding, National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, said state governors should explore alternative ways of generating revenue to address food security, infrastructure and other challenges.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, has challenged commissioners of budget and economic planning to devise alternative ways of revenue generation for a sustainable economy.He gave the charge in Abuja at the occasion of the Forum of Commissioners of Budget and Economic Planning, Community of Practice (COP)

Agba urged the Economic Planners to reprioritise their states needs and address the core areas to ensure effective and efficient use of revenue, insisting, “We are not putting sufficient money in the right sectors of our economy.“Come up with strategies on how best Nigeria can properly align the key variables of the quality of our infrastructure, policies and institutions to ensure sustainable economic diversification, as the nation commences discussions on the formation of a new long term national development plan.”