Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has again said that his administration did not increase taxes in the state as being speculated by some people, describing it as a “misconception”.

The governor rather said that what his government simply did was to expand the state’s tax net by bringing in those who were not captured or who were not paying their taxes.

Mbah disclosed this while answering questions from the members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), in Enugu on Saturday.

He said there was a misconception that government increased tax rates or presence of huge tax activities going on in Enugu, pointing out the state would not hike or adjust tax rates.

Mbah said: “But that is a misconception because in the first place, our states will not increase or adjust the tax rates; so there is no such thing. “We ensured that our processes are automated unlike in the past where we collect taxes through manual or cash.

“We had to stop all that by ensuring that payments are made through an electronic or digital platforms where people pay straight to the government account as we block the leakages and expanding the tax net.”

The governor noted that prior to his administration, the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state was about N25 billion, adding that this year’s IGR projection was about N600 billion, which would be achieved or exceeded.