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Experts, Stakeholders Canvass Tax Automation at FIRS’ Dialogue

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By Orkula Shaagee, Abuja

The Federal Government has been advised to explore data and intelligence in order to ease tax collection and improve its revenue base.

In a statement made available to DAILY ASET yesterday, the Director Communications and Liaison at FIRS, Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmad, said tax experts, speakers, panelists and government functionaries gave the advice at the recently held First Annual National Tax Dialogue in Abuja, organized by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), with the theme “Taxation in a Post-Covid Economy”.

In his Keynote Address at the event, President, African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, highlighted the pandemic’s impact on Africa’s economy and the various interventions by the bank and national governments.

According to him, Nigeria’s economy shrank “by 3% in 2020 on account of falling oil prices and the effects of the lockdowns on economic activities,” adding that “with shrinkage in oil revenues, debt service payments pose the greatest risk to Nigeria.”

He stressed further that for Nigeria to overcome the pandemic, “taxes must form a significant percentage of government revenue.

Digitalization of tax collection and tax administration is critical to ensure greater transparency of the tax system, widening of the tax base, while mitigating compliance risks and encouraging voluntary tax compliance.”

 Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who was chairman of the Dialogue, lauded the FIRS “for its performance in the 2020 fiscal year, despite operating in the most challenging period many of us have experienced.

The Service not only collected N4.9 trillion in taxes, achieving 98% of its target; only 30.6% of this was attributed to Petroleum Profits Tax, from what used to be over 50%”.

However, Governor Fayemi urged participants at the event to “interrogate how Nigeria can further deepen the use of technology to improve tax compliance nationally and across subnationals.”

He stressed that this was important because “a significant proportion of our population will soon come into the workforce” which is “a golden opportunity to introduce first-time taxpayers to their civic responsibility, by adopting technology.”

Similarly, Executive Secretary, African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), Mr. Logan Wort, harped on the place of technology in generating revenue for the country in a post-Covid economy.

Mr. Wort, who joined the Dialogue virtually from South Africa, stated that “Domestic Resource Mobilisation (DRM) is expected to contribute at least 75% to 90% on average per country” in the post-Covid era, adding that Nigeria and other African countries should note that “improved tax revenue will have to take prime position” in the scheme of things.

Mr. Wort urged Nigeria to pay serious attention to e-commerce and the digital economy sector where big, trans-national digital conglomerates like Google, Netflix and Uber operate and make huge, tax-free profits as a possible way of increasing tax revenue generation. He said Nigeria should borrow a leaf from Ghana in e-commerce taxation, which is projected to fetch Ghana $450 million in tax revenue.

In his recap of the keynote address as Chairman of the first panel session, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, urged the AfDB president to support Lagos State as it grappled with the challenges of being the former capital city of Nigeria as well as the issues foisted upon it by the pandemic.

Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Ali Isa Pantami, who chaired the second panel session, stressed that taxpayers should be treated as kings and canvassed better funding of the FIRS.

Nigeria’s first female professor of taxation, Prof.(Mrs) Teju Somorin; President, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Prof. Muhammad Mainoma, Member; FIRS Board, Mrs. Adetola Ehile-Aigbangbee; Group Managing Director (GMD), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Mr. Mele Kyari; Executive Secretary, African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), Mr. Logan Wort; Mr. Yomi Olugbenro of Deloitte Nigeria, Taiwo Oyedele, Principal Partner, PWC; and Mr. Tajudeen Akande of PKF served as discussants on the panels of discussion at the Dialogue.

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Tinubu Returns To Nigeria After Two Weeks Overseas Trip

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President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja, the nation’s capital, after spending two weeks abroad.

The President arrived back at the Presidential Villa in the early hours of Wednesday.

The Nigerian leader had travelled to the Netherlands on April 23 for a summit on economic growth.

After the three-day event, he proceeded to Saudi Arabia, where he joined other leaders from around the globe for the World Economic Summit (WEF).

The Nigerian leader did not immediately return to Nigeria after the event, spending more days abroad.

No official reason was given for the extended stay that has aroused speculations from some Nigerians.

This newspaper earlier reported on Tuesday that President Tinubu was due in Nigeria this Wednesday, according to his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

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Court Disbands Cross River Cocoa Allocation Taskforce, Surveillance Team

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From Ene Asuquo, Calabar

High Court sitting yesterday in Effraya, Etung local government area of Cross River state has granted motion exparte, disbanding the state Cocoa Allocation Surveillance team from operating at the government Cocoa estate.The court placed the injunction order restraining the team from harassing allottees of government cocoa farms in Etung local government of the state.

The order came five days after Otu’s administration issued a statement suspending activities of the surveillance team barring them from operating at government Cocoa estate in the state.
The court presided over by Justice Amajama Eneji, yesterday after the proceedings, adjourned the matter for argument till May 23,2024 after a counter affidavit to the motion on notice and statement of defense was filed by counsel to Cross River State government Barr.
Woda Ogar.In a brief interview with journalists at the court premises at Effraya, counsel to Cross River State government, Wada Ogar, said, “ I just came today to find out that there were 27 others recently filed.”The application ex parte was taken and has been variously adjourned to May 23rd for hearing of the motion on notice. But what I came here for was suit no. HA/16, 17 and 18, 2024 which have been served on me and I have filed my responses.”Well, it is the allegation of the claimants that some hooligans are taking over the plots over which we are in court, harassing the people and all that.”That is why in the first place, they brought an application ex parte to restrain those people and then they alleged that, surveillance committee set up by the government was being used to perpetrate illegalities, because of that, the court made another ex parte which had gone viral” Woda said.Meanwhile counsel for claimant, Mba Ukweni ( SAN),averred that he and his clients (claimants ) came to court to take a motion for interlocutory injunction to restrain government and its agents, her appointees from interfering with allottees of government cocoa farms.

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First 100 Days in Office: Ododo Pays 100% to LG Pensioners, 85% to LG Workers

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From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State in his 100 days in office has been said to have made history with the payment of 100 percent monthly pension to Local Government Pensioners and 85 percent monthly salary to local government workers in the state.This positive development which started in the month of April, 2024, is coming after several years of percentage payment being experienced by local government pensioners and workers in the state.

It was a jubilation galore for the beneficiaries as they said that it will go a long way in cushioning the effect of the current economic hardship as well as giving them a sense of belonging with their counterparts in the Kogi State Civil Service.
Governor Ododo also made his mark within the 100 days in office by entrenchment of good governance through the appointments of capable Commissioners and Special Advisers to kick start effective administration.In the education sector, Governor Ododo made his feat in the payment of external examination fees such as WAEC and JAMB, creation of online registration portal for the registration of indigenous students of Kogi in tertiary institutions across the country for payment of their bursary allowances, payment of outstanding fees to all Students’ Associations and Youth Organisations in the state.Ododo equally ensured the completion of internal roads at Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara as well as inspection of legacy projects in the institution and Kogi State University, Kabba.Furthermore, the Governor embarked on training of teachers in the Kogi State Public Schools/ Deployment of a new set of teachers recruited by the Kogi government.Inorder to boost food security within the period under review, Governor Ododo’s administration, cleared over 8,000 hectares of farmland for this year’s farming season, conducted a census of genuine farmers in the state to determine farmers to benefit from government subsidies and interventions and refurbishment of over 200 Tractors which were distributed to farmers across the state to carry out their farming activities.On information dissemination, the Governor installed a Transmitter at Radio Kogi headquarters in Lokoja to ensure effective publicity of government policies and programmes, provision of operational vehicles to the Radio Station and Solar Power to ensure uninterrupted transmission.In an effort to avert possible flooding in the state during this year’s raining season, Governor Ododo within his 100 days in office, awarded contract of N29.9Billion Erosion Control Projects at Ankpa, Okene and Ijumu local government areas

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