Aregbesola: E-Payment Has Enhanced Revenue Generation In Osun

The Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has again explained how the state government has continued to increase its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to N1.5 billion every month with the deployment of electronic payment technology (E-Payment).
Speaking at the recent Africa Digital Forum 2013, with the theme “Deepening eGovernance, Transparency with Broadband Access”, Aregbesola disclosed that Osun state generated so much revenue on monthly basis with the support of its E-Payment system, and insisted that state and federal governments could do same by blocking financial leakages in public sector through the deploying appropriate technology.
Dignitaries at the plenary session, which was chaired by the former Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Dr. Ernst Ndukwe, were Group CEO, Computer Warehouse, Austin Okere, CEO of Teledom Group, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, CEO, Disc Engineering, Bayo Banjo and President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Lanre Ajayi.
Explaining how his administration raised its revenue, he said with the singular implementation of rudimentary e-banking systems, Osun state increased its IGR from N300 million monthly to N1.5 billion and was achieved without increase in taxes but by attracting new tax payers to the existing ones, the governor said.
He added that the public sector could achieve transparency and growth through the deployment of information technology devices that ride on affordable broadband infrastructure. “Osun addressed the hydra-headed problems of ghost workers through the deployment of technology”, he announced at the awards ceremony where he was inducted into the maiden edition of Digital Hall of Fame based on his contributions to the growth and development of information and telecommunications technology.
Personalities inducted into the hall of fame alongside the governor included Austin Okere, Bayo Banjo, Lanre Ajayi Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem. Others were Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, Group Managing Director, Omatek Ventures, Mrs. Florence Seriki, Chairman, Zinox Technologies, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, Managing Director of 21st Century Technologies, Mr. Wale Ajisebutu and President, Tribe Media Group, Dr. Bayero Agabi.
There were also two special recognitions for Galaxy Backbone as well ADPLUS 360, a subsidiary of HIIT Plc.
At the event, three posthumous awards were presented in memory of the timeless contributions of pioneer Director-General of the Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Prof. Gabriel Ajayi, former Chief Executive Officer of Mobitel, Charles Alaba Joseph, and first President of the Nigeria Internet Registration Authority (NIRA), Ndukwe Kalu.
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