Imo adopts cashless payment policy in ministries

Imo State government has introduced the cashless system of payment in all the 13 ministries to affect this, and authorisation memo was sent to all the heads of ministerial departments and agencies to effect this.

The order, which has been complied with and which is now fully in operation was clearly made known by the commissioner for internal resources and pension matters, Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe, while showcasing the achievements of his ministry from January to May, he took office as commissioner.

Ajumbe is the pioneer commissioner of this ministry, which is in charge of all pension matters and formulates ways to raise the internally generated revenue (IGR) for the state. Governor Rochas Okorocha appointed him after his performance as the chairman IBC Management Committee.

The introduction and implementation of the cashless payment is to revolutionise and reorganised the internally generated revenue system in the state, making sure that “we get the money and is not only getting the money, ensuring that the money you get does not go away or leak,” Ajumbe said.

According to Ajumbe, “we have been able to implement the cashless system in the ministries and ensuring also that money collected is paid into the IGR account. This is working and we can assure you, no more cash payment in any department and in the ministries in the state”.

Furthermore, said the commissioner, with the innovation introduced by the ministry of Internal Resources and Pension Matters, all government accounts have been consolidated and that banks where government IGR accounts are domiciled have been notified accordingly.

He informed that one of the conspicuous achievements of his ministry was the reactivation of the information and communication technology (ICT) centre of the state to monitor all government revenues, stressing that it will enable them track any transactions as far as it has to do with government accounts.

The commissioner was not pleased with how people perceive payment of taxes in the state. According to him, “people see tax payment as punishment in this state; the only people playing are public and civil servants because theirs are deducted at source”.

He said that constant power outage in the state works against citizens’ enthusiasm to pay taxes, as “most companies we approach will complain of not being in business because of the poor power supply”.

And “since I was appointed a commissioner, I have not witnessed a day power was on for one hour in my office,” said Ajumbe.

Meanwhile, he stated that his ministry has built 27 blocks of houses in all the 27 local government headquarters to enable the staff of the ministry work in a good environment, and frowned against frauds discovered in the pension department, including the way the living still collect pensions for on behalf of the dead.

The ministry has embarked on enlightenment campaigns to enable people pay taxes he said further.