The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji urged lawmakers to support the harmonisation of the federal government’s revenue collection system.
Dr. Adedeji who stated this on Wednesday while defending the agency’s budget before the house of representatives committee on finance said agencies such as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and others should not be involved in revenue collection.
“Nigeria needs a single revenue collection platform, as seen in other jurisdictions like the UK and South Africa,” Adedeji added.
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The FIRS boss explained that “What we see is that in other climes, you have a single revenue-collecting agency. But here in Nigeria, we have more than 62 agencies collecting one way or the other on behalf of the federal government.
“I don’t want to mention names, but when you mention customs, they are a border and trade facilitator. Revenue is not a core mandate of customs.
“If you go to the UK or South Africa, you will not see customs in South Africa collecting revenue. You don’t see customs collecting revenue in the UK.”
He continued that,“That is part of the issues I have with the tax credit. It is not the duty of FIRS to be approving money for the road; it is the duty of the ministry of works.”
Meanwhile, the committee approved the sum of N446.34 billion for the 2024 budget of the FIRS.
The budget estimate comprises N177.44 billion as personnel cost; N156.45 billion as overhead cost, and N112.45 billion as capital.
