Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has ordered the establishment of a Single Central Revenue Account (SCRA) for all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) within the state.
The directive was issued on Wednesday during an interactive meeting with the heads of MDAs at Africa House, Government House.
According to a statement by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the decision became necessary due to the predominantly manual revenue generation processes in the state, with limited use of technology.
Furthermore, some MDAs have been operating revenue accounts outside of the designated Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) accounts. In addition to these challenges, the state has also been grappling with the issue of multiple expenditure accounts maintained by various MDAs, which has significantly hampered probity, accountability, and transparency.
Governor Yusuf further explained that part of the measures to address these challenges and enhance the state’s revenue profile includes the appointment of a new management team for the Kano State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS).
Additionally, the Governor has approved the implementation of a Central Billing System (CBS) aimed at strengthening and standardizing billing processes across all MDAs in the state.
The Governor directed the Accountant General to urgently issue a circular mandating all MDAs to comply with the provisions of the Kano State MDA Revenue Harmonization Law, 2016.
The Accountant General is also expected to instruct all commercial banks and other financial institutions to close all bank accounts (whether IGR or expenditure) belonging to any MDA of the state within 48 hours.
The Governor’s directive further stated that banks are required to transfer all account balances from the IGR and expenditure accounts to the new IGR and expenditure accounts recently opened by the Office of the Accountant General of Kano State.
Banks are expected to submit certificates of compliance with these directives to both the Accountant General and the Executive Chairman of KIRS.
Governor Yusuf reassured the citizens of the state, particularly taxpayers, that the current administration will continue to invest tax revenue in projects that will positively impact their lives and the state’s economy.
He added that from the first quarter of 2025, the government will aggressively invest taxpayers’ money in sectors such as Water and Sanitation, Health, Education, Urban Renewal, and Agricultural Development.
The Governor also emphasized that his administration has established a new Ministry of Power and Sustainable Energy to collaborate with power sector stakeholders in addressing the state’s power supply challenges.
