Hon Aliyu Umar Yusuf
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
KOGI State House of Assembly at plenary on Wednesday passed four key bills to strengthen Public Finance Management, boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), and promote transparency in governance.
Speaker of the House, Rt Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf who described the bills as critical to good governance passed the bills following the third and final reading after a clause-by-clause consideration at the Committee of Whole.
They include the Repeal and Re-enactment of the Kogi State Public Audit Law to strengthen the powers and independence of the Office of the Auditor-General of the state in line with constitutional provisions.
The Lawmakers also repealed the “Kogi State Revenue Administration Law” and re-enacted the “Kogi State Internal Revenue Service Establishment Law”, and passed the “Kogi State Taxes and Levies (Approval List for Collection) Law 2025.”
In addition, the House repealed the “Pool Betting and Gaming Machine Control Levy and Taxation Law of 2002 and as well, enacted a new 2025 law to regulate the sector.
The Speaker in his ruling, noted that beyond revenue generation, the laws clearly defined who collects what taxes and levies, and how they should be paid.
The Speaker noted that the new laws significantly reduce the number of taxes and levies to be collected, streamline revenue collection, promote cashless transactions, and curb corruption.
He also explained that the betting and gaming law provides a legal framework for states to harness revenue from lottery and gaming activities.
On the audit law, lawmakers said the new legislation empowers the Auditor-General to independently monitor public finances, strengthen accountability, and reduce corruption across government institutions. (Ends)