The Enugu State Government has expressed its resolve to generate N20 billion from land use charges based on the innovation brought to the application of the charge which enables a digitised collection for effective revenue collection.
Ekene Nnamani, Chairman of Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), stated this on Wednesday while briefing newsmen in Enugu as part of the State Government’s plans to expand revenue scope.
“From 1st June this year, we will start enforcement of payment of the charges by residents already captured in the metropolises and Communities.
“The plan is to boosting the state internally-generated revenue (IGR) in line with Governor Peter Mbah-led Government’s disruptive innovation agenda, designed to transform the State”, he said.
He added that Government had automated the land use charges as part of efforts to meet its target, saying that the Service had been able to identify 800,000 properties in the State through Geographic Information System (GIS).
Nnamani stated that every property owner in both the metropolises and villages are required to pay the charges to enable Government carry out its developmental plans for the citizens.
He announced that even owners of ancestral homes are required to pay the land use fees, explaining that those in the rural areas are also benefitting from dividends of democracy such as schools, health and other amenities.
He however, explained that the charges are dependant on the value of the land and where they are located, adding that the charges are in different categories, stressing that they are charged per plot of land.
