NEITI asks FIRS to recover $20bn from firms

– By Alison_Godswill

Kindly Share

Post Views: 52

NEITI asks FIRS to recover $20bn from firms

By Eyo Nsima

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, has requested the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, to assist it in recovering over $20 billion in unremitted revenue.

Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, who disclosed this when he led a delegation to visit the FIRS Executive Chairman, Muhammad Nami in Abuja, said: “FIRS is as important to NEITI as the NNPC, DPR, and as the Central Bank of Nigeria with who we also have deepened relationship. However, over the years that relationship with FIRS has not been as it should be.

“We recall the FIRS was on our board when Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru was here and it was through the instruments of our reports that she did a lot of reforms which in the last years that you came, you have taken to a very far digital age.

“You have brought a lot of technology into it and then reduce human interference in the work you do. We are very proud of the job you have done. When you reel out the figures that the FIRS has recovered most times they give targets and you meet the targets, we think you can do more if we bring the NEITI/EITI principles into what you do in terms of openness, transparency, and accountability that are already in-built in the technology that is now driving tax reports”.

Responding, In his response, Mr. Nami assured NEITI of FIRS support, adding that in the past years cooperation between both organizations has improved greatly.

He said, “FIRS has created a full department named intelligence strategic data mining and analysis department to mine and warehouse data on taxpayers for the service.

“We, therefore, request for your support to build up our database by sharing with the FIRS data obtained from other stakeholders such as NNPC, DPR, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, oil and gas companies, and solid minerals players, from past and future annual NEITI audit exercise”.

Kindly Share

Copyright @ TheDaily. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from TheDaily