The 13 local government councils in Nasarawa State have adopted the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to block leakages and improve internally-generated revenue (IGR) across the state.
Mr Haruna Osegba, the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, told newsmen on Thursday in Lafia that the decision was reached at a meeting of the local government Joint Account Committee (JAC).
Osegba said the adoption of the TSA became imperative as a result of the failure of local government revenue officers to properly account for IGR monthly.
“Over the years, whenever the government demands for accountability of the IGR from local government revenue officers, they would always claim nothing is being generated.
“We are aware that all LGAs, especially Karu, are generating a lot of money internally but we do not know where it is going to.
“The new arrangement is that all IGR from all the 13 LGAs would be paid into the TSA from this February,” he added.
Osegba explained that the JAC has engaged Cascada Consulting firm to take over the collection all taxes in the 13 LGAs and remit same into the TSA.
He, therefore, appealed to the chairmen of Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the 13 LGAs and Overseers of the 18 Development Areas to support the firm to improve the IGR of their areas.
Mr Mustapha Lamus of Wamba LGA appealed to the state government to increase the overheads of IMC Chairmen and Overseers from N1 million to N2 million to enable them manage the affairs of the local governments effectively. – NAN.
