FIRS inaugurates intelligence system to track tax evaders

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has inaugurated a National Intelligence Gathering System to gather data and track tax evaders and defaulters across the country.

The FIRS Director, Communications and Liaison Department, Mr Abdullahi Ismaila made this known in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ismaila said the Executive Chairman, FIRS, Mr Muhammad Nami, revealed this during an inter-agency collaborative visit to the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owansanoye on Wednesday.

Nami explained that the new system would help to track tax evaders with a view to bringing them to book and make them pay their fair share of taxes to the country.

According to him, the intelligence gathering system is Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based, being implemented in collaboration with the ICPC and other anti-corruption agencies as well as financial institutions.

He added that the system would help to tackle economy-based crimes, including money laundering.

“The ICPC is our critical stakeholder. We are improving our collaboration with the commission to track tax fraud and block all revenue leakages to ensure that we raise the revenue for the government to fund its budget.

“We need the data and intelligence which you have to help us track tax evaders and bring them into the tax net”.

He said that the Service was also restructuring and revamping its system to enable it surpass its 2020 revenue target. (NAN)

FEC approves lead consultant for forensic audit of NDDC

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the appointment of a lead consultant for the forensic audit of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Sen. Godswill Akpabio, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, made the disclosure while briefing State House correspondents after FEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Akpabio said that the lead consultant would coordinate the appointment of other forensic auditors that would take part in the exercise.

“The amount is about N318 million and Messrs Olumuyiwa Bashiru and co were appointed the lead consultant that will handle forensic audit of NDDC as ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari after a request by the nine governors of the Niger Delta region.

“The nine governors  met with the President in Oct., 2019 and requested a forensic audit of the NDDC; of course, as a result of the fact that we have not had value for the money expended in that commission since inception.

“And so, the forensic audit will cover from 2001 all the way down to 2019 and we are going to have other forensic auditors joining the lead; we are treating each of the states as a lot.

“So, likely we are going to have a consortier of about nine other forensic auditors; one of which will be in the head office to handle programmes and financial audit, personnel and all others.

“And that must have an international flavour in case there are monies that may be denominated in dollar to be recovered after a forensic exercise,’’ he said.

The minister said that the estimated period given by the Bureau of Public Procurement to conclude the exercise was nine months.(NAN)