FIRS reforms boost non-oil tax revenue collections

Despite the crippling of economic activities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, reforms ongoing at Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has led to a significant increase in revenue collections from the non-oil sector of the country.

Executive Chairman, FIRS, Mr Muhammad Nami, disclosed this recently in Abuja during a courtesy call on the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, by the members of the FIRS Board.

In a statement by Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmad, FIRS director of the Communications department, Mr Nami attributed the increase in the non-oil sector receipt to reform measures introduced by the FIRS Board and Management as well as the renewed vigour in the Service workforce.

According to Mr Nami, non-oil tax receipts have consistently contributed 70-80 per cent of total tax revenue in recent months. For instance, Mr Nami disclosed that out of N490 billion collected by the Service in July only N52 billion was from the oil sector with the rest coming in through non-oil receipts.

Mr Nami commended the minister for her support to the FIRS and its Board since their inauguration earlier in the year and solicited closer working relationship between the Service and her ministry.

Attesting to Mr Nami’s disclosure, the minister commended the Management and Board of the FIRS for working to limit the disruptive impact of COVID-19 on government revenue through their proactive reforms, noting that this had made it possible for the three tiers of government to receive their monthly statutory allocations from the Federation Accounts.

The minister observed that Value Added Tax (VAT) and Stamp Duties receipts have boosted government revenue despite the pandemic.

Ahmed pledged to continue to support the Management and Board of the FIRS and tasked the Service to work harder towards diversifying government revenue sources further away from dependence on oil.