The Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS) has become the first State Internal Revenue Service (SIRS) to receive certifications of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) for ISO 9001: 2015 Quality Management System and ISO/IEC 22301: 2012 Business Continuity Management System.
The Quality Management Standard (QMS) certification implies that the Service has implemented standards through processes that demonstrate commitment towards continual improvements in the areas of customer satisfaction, productivity, efficiency, and resource optimisation among others.
The Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) certification represents that the Service has met requirements which would enable it to be resilient, secured towards disruptions and incidents as well as inside and outside threats. BCMS also implies that KW-IRS is committed to ensuring there is quick recovery in the event of business disruption through identification of potential risks and planning of contingencies.
The Service had embarked on the Certifications having recognised that while there had been significant growth, there was also more desired to be achieved. The Service which was in its 3rd year of operations had to put in place standardised processes for growth and sustainability.
The Certifications ensures all interested parties including external and internal stakeholders are taken into cognisance in all its activities and ensures all necessary statutory and regulatory requirements are met.
The two (2) Certificates were publicly presented to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kwara State and the Management Team of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service which was led by the Executive Chairman, Dr Muritala Awodun on the 19th of December 2018 at the Government House.
The certificates were presented by Tenol Alpha, an affiliate of the certification body, Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB), Canada.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji (Dr) Abdulfatah Ahmed said KW-IRS had come to change the face of revenue generation with a target to achieve the desired development. He revealed that he always had the desire to show the nexus between revenue generation, development, and tax application and KW-IRS had achieved giant strides in this respect.
Governor Ahmed opined that the growth witnessed in the revenue generation was largely influenced by putting in place the reform model of People, Process and Technology (PPT). This he said had moved the State to one of the best and most efficient SIRS deemed worthy of emulation by many others.
His Excellency said the ISO Certifications capped other other achieved feats which served as evidence that his Administration not only initiated the right institution but also selected the right people.
He stated that the Service had proven to be efficient under the leadership of Dr Muritala Awodun as the pioneer Executive Chairman.
He added that he was especially proud because he understood the tough job driving change constitutes and even how more difficult it could be for a public sector organisation.
The Executive Governor of Kwara State said with the ISO 9001: 2015 QMS and ISO 22301: 2012 BCMS ISO Certifications, the Management and Staff of the Service had not only done KW-IRS proud, not only done Kwara proud but had also done Nigeria proud.
He congratulated the Executive Chairman and all staff of the Service on the world class achievement.
Earlier, Awodun explained that the service embarked on the certification having recognised the need to scale up its performance despite its recent achievements in revenue generation and management.
In his remarks, the representative of Canada-based Professional Evaluation and Certification Board (PECB) an international organisation for standardisation, Mr Olumide Ajibawo said the KWIRS had been appraised twice and found operating within the international best practices by building resilience and reducing risk in business and had demonstrated that it could stand the test of time.