By Daniel Tyokua
Tax practitioners have asked the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration to bury the moves to stop technical partners from revenue collection, and empower only civil servants to be in-charge of revenue generation.
FCTA had through the Department of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement convened a stakeholders’ meeting between Council Chairmen to end multiple taxations in Abuja, recently.
In a statement issued on Sunday, by FCT chairman of Safer Tax Network, Dr Nasiru Oseni on behalf of others, said there was the need for FCTA to avoid violation of laws guiding revenue collection in the territory and heed to the FCT Internal Revenue Service Act, 2015-A253-309/ Vol.102.
“The Act says, appoint and employ practicing tax practitioners or chartered accountants and professional firms to be in-charge of the collection and monitoring agents to collect information through tax audit and to monitor compliance with relevant tax laws, under this Act with the aim of achieving the Internally Generated Revenue target of the FCT/Councils”
The statement explained that the Council Chairmen/officials are legitimately empowered by the constitution and other various laws to engage the use of experts, without involving them in the revenue generation there would be constant leakages and poor generation, igniting crisis between the Council Chairmen and stakeholders.
Oseni hinted that in the past, efforts by FCT Administration recieved resistance from the councils’ authorities.
He said the use of technical partners, consultants, private firm’s and individuals remain the best way to boost revenue generation across the Six Area Councils and beyond.
It said, “There is nothing wrong to use capable and experienced hands for the collection of Internally Generated Revenue, it is a global practice to employ experts in this field to achieve the desired results”
According to the statement, “in 2015, the former minister of the FCT attempted to take over the responsibilities of the Area Councils especially in lucrative revenue areas but it failed because the FCT Administration lack the constitution backing to do so. The 1999 constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended conferred on the Local /Councils the power for these collections”
