The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. James Aniyom has on behalf of the state government signed a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry, DOC-AA Consultants, Cross River State Internal Revenue Service and Sub- Consultant, Ekutic Investment Ltd.

The commissioner assured them of the co-operation of the ministry at all times to enable them meet their revenue target.

According to Mr. Aniyom, More Thanks Resources Ltd. is mandated to collect produce inspection fees, while Ekutic is to collect non- cocoa produce fees.

He recounted that lots have been carted out of the state such as bush mangoes and other crops without revenue accruing to the state and explained that it was their duty to check-mate these   activities in order to boost produce revenue generation across the state.

According to him, every cash collected on produce should henceforth be through the contractors and directly lodged into the bank.

The commissioner explained further that staff of the Produce Inspection Service Department of the ministry are to be engaged with the inspection of produce and not revenue collection, which, according to him, is the exclusive responsibility of the consultants.

Earlier, the Managing Director, More Thanks Resources Limited, Mr. Eka Williams, had commended the commissioner on behalf of the government for the contract agreement signed and also promised to ensure that produce inspection fee is collected from cocoa produce.

He said inspite of the fact that the state has been eluded from the provision of oil wells; they will bring their experience to bear towards boosting the revenue progression in the state.

According to him, government is using indigenous contractors to collect revenue and, remarked that More Thanks had been on Cocoa for a long time.

Similarly, the Managing Director, Ekutic Investment limited, Mr. Bernard Ndoma-Egba, disclosed that he deals with non- Cocoa, adding that ‘we ensure to collect revenue on these crops across the state.