IGR: Nami Tasks FG, States to Provide Value for Taxpayers

James Emejo and Sonia Mayomi in Abuja

The Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Muhammad Nami, has tasked all the tiers of government to ensure that tax-compliant citizens enjoyed value and benefits for the taxes they pay.

Nami said tax-compliant citizens legitimately expect leaders to provide them with necessary infrastructure and amenities to improve their living standards.

The FIRS boss spoke at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum’s seventh Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) Learning Event in Abuja.

He said, “Tax compliant citizens can legitimately expect their leaders to provide necessary amenities for a good life. This expectation is confirmed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) in section 16(b) where it provides that ‘the State shall, within the context of the ideals and objectives for which provisions are made in this Constitution, control the national economy in such manner as to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity.”

Nami said governments at various levels must imbibe the culture of value-for-money and put in proper perspective value-for tax-money.

According to him, “The citizens should not just hear budget figures but must, within their immediate living quarters feel, see and experience effects of tax revenue.This, going forward, should be the norm and not an exception.”

The FIRS Chairman particularly advised state governors to look inwards and create alternative sources of revenue away from depending on revenue from oil sources, while also urging that they adopt the right tax policies to ensure funding for infrastructure in their states.

He said, “Your Excellences, Nigeria, over the years, has been dependent on revenue from crude oil.

“This source of revenue is no longer sustainable as the market for fossil fuel continues to depletes due to complications arising from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift from fossil fuel to other cleaner sources of energy, rising cost of exploration, banditry and oil theft, among others.”

He warned the future of crude oil as a major revenue earner is appeared bleak adding that taxation remained the only sustainable source of revenue anywhere in the world stressing that Nigeria was no exception.