FG Rakes N45.8bn From Stamp Duties This Year – Post Master General
BY GLORIA USMAN, ABUJA – The Post Master General of the Federation, Barrister Bisi Adegbuyi, on Tuesday announced that following reforms by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), raked in over N45.8 billion from stamp duties in year 2019.
This is as Adegbuyi said that there is no conflict between NIPOST and the Federal Inland Revenue Service as well as the States Board of Internal Revenue over the remittances of stamp duties in the country.
He however asserted that the position however remains that the production/printing/sales of stamp duties is the sole responsibility of NIPOST even if it had moved from manual to electronic stamps.
Adegbuyi, who stated these while addressing journalists at the Headquarters of NIPOST in Abuja, said NIPOST is currently undergoing a digital transformation that would change the narratives of postal services in the country.
The Post Master General, who was flanked by the General Manager, Counter Services, Mrs Toyin Egbesola, General Manager ICT, Dr Thomas Ali Gaga and the Director, Finance and Investment, Malam Usman Shabba, also said that NIPOST has deployed ICT solutions/platforms to attain about 70 percent automation of all its systems and operations across the country adding that by 2020, the systems would be fully automated.
Adegbuyi said NIPOST as the largest government owned institution in the country with its operations dating back to 1934, is currently leveraging on digital technology to address the socio-economic problems confronting the nation.
According to him; “What we are doing currently is to change the narratives of postal service system in Nigeria by leveraging on technological platforms to drive financial inclusion, create jobs opportunities, promote Small and Medium Scale Businesses, create access to credit and mortgage systems and assist government to address the current security challenges.
“We are currently partnering with JAMB, NIMC and other institutions and agencies of government to make our operations robust particularly in the financial services sector, e-governance, remittances, parcel and postal services.
“The CBN has also granted NIPOST the license for money transfer because of our large presence in all the Local Government Councils in the country.
“We are aggregating all the e-government centres, Road Safety, Immigration Service, etc. to ensure that the common man will benefit from them through the Postal Service System.
“You can imagine if pension are paid to our retirees in the villages through the Postal Service system, the stress associated with pension payment would be avoided and lots of lives would be saved as well from the risks associated with travelling,“ the PMG said.
Adegbuyi further said that NIPOST’s management is currently embarking on infrastructures development, deployment of digital solutions/platforms, training and retraining of its workers among others to change the narratives of postal service in Nigeria, adding that partially commercialisation would place NIPOST in a position to generate huge revenue for the government.
