How FIRS blocked leakages with ICT to boost revenue generation -Expert

The Federal Inland Revenue Service in Nigeria (FIRS) has leveraged on the use of modern information and communications technology (ICT) to block leakages and shore-up the revenue profile of the nation to an all-time high of over N10 billion in 2022.

 The deployment of ICT boosted revenue was up from the N6 billion recorded in the corresponding period in 2021 to N10 billion

 This was disclosed in a media Tax sensitization Workshop organized by the FRIS in conjunction with Afropolitan Media in Kano State North West Nigeria.

The resource person, a lecturer at the Department of Accounting, Bayero University Kano, Dr. Zaharadeen Maigoshi said the giant step was achieved through the use of automated tax systems introduced by the incumbent Executive Chairman of the FIRS, Muhammad Nami, to block a lot of leakages.

” The Tax Promax software developed by the ICT staff of the agency, since 2021 has made tax issues and payment to become automated, right from assessment down  to collection of tax clearance certificate.

 “This is a giant step, as it has contributed greatly in shoring up the huge amount generated especially last year, 2022, where the agency raked in over 10 billion naira as against 6 billion naira recorded in 2021 .

 “This is because the automated system has blocked a lot of leakages that use to take place before. Now you can seat in the comfort of your office and make tax returns and ask for clearance certificate,” he said.

 He urged tax fraudsters, evaders and those avoiding it, to quit doing so in order for the country to rake in more revenue.

On the role of the media in Tax matters in Nigeria, Dr, Maigoshi said having been taken through the rudiments of policy, law, administration and guidelines of the FIRS as well as the need to pay tax in a nation at the workshop, the journalists are better equipped to sensitize the public on the need to pay their taxes.

 “The media through the workshop has been educated on roles of the FIRS, which includes: assessment, collection remittance and accounting for taxes collected.

“Media, then, is expected to participate in the area of tax awareness because it’s the media that can make the public to embrace it.

“If the media blackmail it, it will be difficult for the tax collectors to collect it but if the media preaches it positively, it will lead to high revenue collection rate, which will be used for development projects and other things including provision of employment.”

 Also, the Chief Executive Officer, Afropolitan Media Limited, Hajiya Aisha Umar Halilu, said the workshop was imperative because the media is indispensable to the national tax education or mobilisation efforts of the service.

 “I urge the participants to deploy the new knowledge and fresh insights the workshop has equipped them with in their reports of the Nigerian Tax System as currently driven by cutting-edge reforms being implemented by the Chairman of the FIRS, Muhammad Nami and the Board of the Service, “she said.

 She added that that the doors of tax authorities like the FIRS were always opened, hence the media should endeavour to seek clarification from the FIRS in grey areas before filing their reports.

 The Kano state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Ibrahim Abbas said the workshop was vital as journalists are expected to know something about everything and know little about something, and urged participants that were drawn from various media houses in.Kano state to make good use of the knowledge gained.

 Participants pledged to work closer with the FIRS to enlighten the public on the need to pay tax promptly for national development. (VON)