FIRS says N12.6tn generated as tax under Buhari

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has said that N12.62 trillion was generated as revenue under Muhammadu Buhari administration from  2016 to 2018.

This was revealed in a document made available to newsmen by the Head of Communications and Servicom Department of the agency, Mr. Wahab Gbadamosi.

According to him, the N3.3 trillion was generated in 2016, N4.02 trillion in 2017 and N5.32 trillion was realised in 2018, making it the highest revenue generated in the last three years.

The document stated that this was made possible as a result of several initiatives designed by the agency to ensure a robust tax administration that is beneficial to all stakeholders.

It explained that non-oil tax revenue increased to N2.149 trillion in 2016, N2.5 trillion in 2017 and N2.852 trillion in 2018.

The document quoted the Executive Chairman of the agency, Babatunde Fowler saying the achievement was a reflection of the diversification of the Nigerian economy by the Federal Government.

“This does not mean that we have left behind the oil tax revenues. It grew from N1.15 trillion in 2016 to N1.52 trillion in 2017 and N2.52trillion in 2018. Non-oil tax revenue is still over in excess of the oil tax revenue.

“We also do collect four per cent in terms of cost of collection but only for non-oil revenue collected. On oil revenue collection, we do not get any commission and we have been able to make sure that our services are more efficient and convenient to taxpayers.

“This has brought about a considerable reduction in the cost of collection of actual taxes.

“In 2016, it was 2.6 per cent, 2017, 2.49 per cent and 2018, 2.14 per cent, meaning that our actual cost of collection is heading downwards based on the efficiency and technology that we are deploying to tax collection.

“Some of the ICT initiatives that we have continued to build on are the e-payment channels which make it convenient and easy to pay taxes anywhere in the world and to also download receipts of payment from any point one so desires,” he said.