The Federal Government has revealed its plans to increase Nigeria’s revenue without imposing extra taxes by technologically monitoring revenue collections in real-time.
Zacchaeus Adedeji, the special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on revenue, disclosed this on Monday, July 10, in an interview with Channels Television.
He said the federal government will integrate the activities of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other revenue collection agencies.
According to him, through the integration of revenue collection agencies, the government will be able to increase the country’s total annual revenue which is currently below N15 trillion, without imposing extra taxes.
“The current administration needs to increase the nation’s revenue not through taxation but by addressing indiscipline in national spending and technologically monitoring revenue collection when agencies like FIRS and Nigerian Customs are harmonised.
The law is very clear as to how to collect revenue. In Section 162 of the Nigerian Constitution, it is clearly stated that there shall be an account called the Federation Account and all government revenue must be put into that account.
When we talk about harmonisation, we are just saying integration of all collecting agencies, that on one platform, we can know what is happening in NIMASA, NPA, NCC, Customs, Federal Inland Revenue (Service)…We will make use of technology to know everything going on in realtime.
We are not coll@psing. NNPC will be NNPC because it is limited, Federal Inland Revenue (Service) will be but the collection of all revenue will be technologically driven by data…Why there seems to be government within government is because of the law because there is no real law that specify what they should do,” Adedeji said.
