EKO HOT BLOG reports that speaking at a town hall meeting hosted by Channels Television on Monday, Oyedele addressed concerns regarding the use of external consultants like Alpha-Beta, which is known for managing tax collection for Lagos State and has ties to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He described the reliance on external firms for tax collection as a significant economic issue, stressing that governments should not depend on third-party firms for such crucial functions.
“In fact, we even discussed at the committee level about including a provision in the law to prohibit governments from using consultants for tax collection. This is one of the biggest economic challenges we face,” Oyedele said.
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“I can confirm, 100 percent, that there are no plans to use consultants for this purpose.”
According to Oyedele, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) already possesses the necessary infrastructure for effective tax collection, particularly through its TaxPro Max platform. He emphasized that only minor system adjustments are needed to implement the proposed reforms.
“For example, once these bills are passed, we can simply update the system to require companies like MTN to indicate the states where VAT returns are generated,” Oyedele explained. He added that similar measures would apply to large corporations, including the Dangote Group and financial institutions, ensuring compliance without external assistance.
In response to concerns about consultation, Oyedele assured that state governors were actively involved during the drafting process of the tax reform bills.
“This is not a rushed process. We consulted extensively. We had a session with the governors’ forum, two sessions with the national economy council, and spent almost an entire day with finance commissioners across Nigeria,” he said.
Oyedele also revealed that the committee held multiple meetings with heads of internal revenue services from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Additionally, letters were sent to governors in each geopolitical zone, offering detailed discussions with their cabinets.
“Some governors didn’t have time for us, but for those who did, like the governor of Lagos, we had thorough engagements. In Lagos, a joint committee between my team and the state cabinet worked on the details for over six months,” he added.
He reiterated that the committee remains open to further consultations, dismissing claims that stakeholders were not sufficiently involved.
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