By Daniel Tyokua
The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mallam Muhammad Bello has inaugurated a 13-man committee to harmonise revenue collection and generation across the nation’s capital, Abuja.
Inaugurating the team in Abuja yesterday, Bello said it has the mandate of guiding and addressing critical areas that will make revenue activities unique.
He explained that the committee is expected to look into concerns arising from tax payers, especially the challenges of collection and leakages.
According to Bello, “The committee will diverse strategies to enhance revenue generation, collection and improve compliance.
“It is important to us to modernise the taxes system in the Federal Capital Territory through unique technology and stakeholders engagement., If the residents all pay their taxes in a right manner it will enhance overall economic development of the territory, which will befit all”
Bello said for the aims to be achieved there must be a very close collaboration with the Area Councils chairmen that are the centre of activities.
Responding, chairman of the committee and acting chairman FCT-IRS, Haruna Abdullahi, said the concept has been ongoing for a very long time, and noted that inauguration of the committee is one step, which will formalise what they are about to do in the territory.
He noted that the harmonisation will continue with one step at a time, as the secretariat has been inaugurated, and it will drive the whole process.
He explained that even though the FCT-IRS is supposed to drive the process, which is what it has been doing, but with the support of the Area Councils and other stakeholders its role continues.
According to him, the committee is provided for in the FCT-IRS Act, and there is a term of reference for it, and the whole idea was to harmonise and make sure that all revenues are collected seamlessly, in line with ease of doing business.
The committee members were drawn from the six Area Councils, secretariats, departments and agencies of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
