The Lagos State Government, in partnership with Interswitch, on Thursday commenced the digitalisation of revenue collection in the state.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had recently stated that the government’s vision was to actualise extensive adoption of electronic channels in the payment of taxes, levies and other official fees.
He had said that this was to “expeditiously improve on the effectiveness of service delivery to residents of the state, while ensuring greater accountability in line with the vision of the current administration in the state.”
In his statement announcing the partnership on Thursday, Ambode said, “To ensure that the government improves on the quality of service delivery to our people, effective March 1, 2018, no payment or taxes will be made by cash henceforth across the state.
“Taxpayers should be able to pay all legitimate taxes and bills through all payment channels at their own time and convenience. The transaction process is now going to be every day, anytime and on weekends.”
The governor stated that the resolution to partner Interswitch to digitise payments and collections in Lagos “is because the company has been at the forefront of efficient and secure public-sector payments and collections at national and state levels for quite a while now.”
“We are confident in their ability to provide strong support and the state-of-the-art payment infrastructure, comparable to such obtainable anywhere in the world, as well as the capabilities required to facilitate seamless implementation of this policy in a state like Lagos,” the governor added.
On its part, Interswitch expressed a commitment to providing omni-channel payment infrastructure, which, it said, would facilitate seamless transaction processes in revenue collection.
Interswitch’s founder and Group Chief Executive Officer, Mitchell Elegbe, stated, “Over the last few years, we have invested extensively in building and continuously developing a variety of payment channels, which facilitate real-time transactions through any means desirable by all parties within the payment process.
“Our vision at Interswitch is an Africa where payment becomes a seamless part of our everyday lives, and we are resolutely committed to working with Lagos State to embrace a fully digital future, in line with our resolve to continue to create digital transaction solutions that enable individuals and communities prosper across Africa.”
