FIRS Staff Vow To Hit N8.5trn Tax Revenue Target
BY COBHAM NSA, ABUJA – At a time the global economy in is dire straits over the Coronavirus pandemic, the Domestic Tax Operation Group (DTOG) of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has promised there is no stopping their resolve to ensure the Service achieve the N8.5 trillion revenue target for year 2020.
Brushing aside the evident threat to human health as well as businesses by COVID-19 worldwide, the TOG assured FIRS Management and Board that hardwork and commitment will be deployed towards achieving the set goals
The TOG delivered this commitment in a communique issued at the end of a two-day “2020 Tax Operation Group Retreat” in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday.
This is even as the FIRS Executive Chairman, Mr Muhammad Nami described the TOG as “the engine room of the Service”, with the pledge that various policy measures and ongoing reforms are meant to motivate the TOG and FIRS generally to effectively deliver on their tax revenue mandate.
According to the communique, to realize the set objectives, the staff resolved “to remain committed and continue to work hard towards realising the N8.5 trillion revenue target set for the Service.”
Also, the “TOG unanimously agreed that, with the new Management’s determination to empower and motivate the staff, the target would not only be achieved but surpassed.”
In expressing concern that “tax evasion practices in Nigeria is worrisome”, the group insisted that; “there is an urgent need to intensify enforcement action to stem the ugly situation”.
It further assured the Service’s determination to keep track of all taxable entities; Company’s compliance “behavior”; and compliance with the use of “compliance programmes”, especially by integrating FIRS’ e-solution platforms with “the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS); the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS); and integrating Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) with Bank Verification Number (BVN).”
Similarly, the communique added: “The promotion of quality service delivering to taxpayers necessarily requires the adoption of technology. The Service was therefore admonished to intensify efforts towards completing the various ICT intervention, including the on-going VAT automation as well as the need to build a centralised taxpayer database to ease access to information.”
In his keynote address at the retreat, FIRS Executive Chairman, Muhammad Nami, urged all staff to take up this challenge and justify the confidence the nation reposes in the Service, especially at this critical time when virtually all other sources of revenue for government are being challenged.
He specifically listed the current corona virus pandemic; and downward slide in global oil price to as low as $30 per barrel against the $57 benchmark used for year 2020 budget.
Nami, who challenged the staff on doing the needful in line with FIRS revenue generation mandate, said; “This gap has to be bridged somehow, and you all are the bridge.”
Presenting the “State Coordinators Collection Performance” for the month of January, at the session, Head of TOG, Mr Olufemi Oluwaniyi, gave an overview of reforms and related events so far undertaken by the FIRS Management team.
He said figures so far returned indicated the TOG has “so much to do”, adding that a hands must therefore be on deck to turn things around for the country, revenue wise.
“While it is true that the period collided with a serious nosedive in global economic fortunes as accentuated by the corona virus outbreak with particular toll on the Oil Market, we have a duty to roll up our sleeves and enhance our capabilities in the non-oil sector of the economy”, Oluwaniyi charged the staff.
