AN APPRAISAL OF REVENUE COLLECTION METHOD IN GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHMENT

INTRODUCTION

1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM/PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Revenue collection is the collection of funds accrued from the taxes paid by the indigene of a country, funds gotten from, import and export duties and bills paid by consumers of government goods and services.

The method of the collection of these revenue was assessed and analyzed to know if we are really moving forward or backward. There are abundance of human resources in Nigeria but the problem is the inefficiency of the country to utilize these resources to it benefit.

Also there is problem of accountability and mis-management of the abundance of human and material resources of the country. The revenue collection has very good increased to the achievement of the purpose of the government. Therefore the purpose of this work are as follows:

1.          To determine how government establishments raise revenue from its citizenry.

2.          To find out whether the methods of enforcing accountability is very effective.

3.          To find if the system of revenue collection has effectively checked fraud arising from    manipulation on accruing records.

1.2 RATIONAL OF THE STUDY

There is no doubt that Nigeria is blessed with abundant human and material resources, but the problem with the country is the fact that various government since its independence in 1960 have either inaduerently or otherwise refused to utilize these resources to its benefits.

The country has been thrown into foreign debts today because of the mismanagement of the abundance of human and material resources of the country. Since 1984, emphasis has shifted from external borrowing to local or internal sourcing of the country’s revenue, for both capital and recurrent expenditure of the federal, state and local governments. Each year, the federal government decides how much, to set a side for external debt servicing and this is first deducted from the federation account before allocation to the federal government, states and local governments.

Also, the horizontal allocations to states and local governments in each state reflects the need for “justice, equity and fairness in the operative of the nation’s fiscal federalism and conduce to the divisibility of the country, national interest, national integration and even development.

One of the main reason for appraisals of revenue from the government establishment is to raise revenue from it citizenry using various method which is considers appropriate, and at the same time using funds so collected to provide so call service in an efficient.

1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be valuable to the hospital management and any other government establishment to appreciate the necessary inherent of the revenue collection and in our teaching hospitals. The government following the recommendation will modify same to achieve better results. This will in turn sure the government huge financial losses.

There must be check and balance other wise the actions in their accountability process will ignore justice and fairness. It is also believed that if the methods are effective in controlling fraud every naira collected by the government will be adequately accountable for. Thus the government objective of health for all the 2000 might be a reality.

For the citizen who pays the hospital bills the study will head, it is believed in the justification of the revenue been collected which they pay as they will not go into the hands of the wrong persons.

Finally this research report will enable student of management especially the bankers and accounting students to have a in-depth knowledge of the methods of collecting revenue available to non-profit making organization especially funded and controlled by the government. It will also help them to understand the audit of government organization when government claiming over to certified public accountants.

1.4 DEFINITION OF TERMS

For the purpose of this work an accounting staff of officer is used here to mean, any person employed by the hospital to perform the duties of a finance officer the hospital irrespective of the persons rank or designation.

A revenue clerk is used to mean any person delegated to collect hospital bills and other fees whether the person is an accounting officer or not.

Revenue here mean total annual income of the hospital only generated from hospital bills and charges. A self guaranteed patient is one who is acceptable as a reputable and well known in the community and on balance of reasoning is allowed on personal recognition to guarantee himself.