Abuja, July 11, 2023: The Federal Capital Territory internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS)has begun the process of harmonising taxes within the FCT.
The Acting Executive, FCT-IRS, Mr Abdullahi Haruna, at a Town Hall on Monday in Abuja said the initiative was meant to shape the future of the FCT.
The meeting, which was organised by the FCT-IRS, is themed , “Harmonisation Drive: Shaping our Future Together”.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at streamlining and optimising revenue collection processes across the FCT.
“This gathering serves as a testament to the power of collaboration and stakeholder engagement.
“Our harmonisation drive is an opportunity for us to unify our resources, aspirations and potentials towards creating a future that we can be proud of.
“Our journey to this future begins with understanding the legal frameworks that guide our revenue harmonisation efforts,” he said.
He said the FCT-IRS Act empowered it with the duty to collaborate with relevant stakeholders and agencies in harmonising and improving tax practices.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at optimising revenue generation efforts, while ensuring simplicity, transparency and accountability.
“By harmonising and simplifying our revenue collection systems, we can unlock the full potential of our resources and pave way for sustainable growth, improved service delivery and enhanced quality of life,” he said.
Haruna said the town hall was an opportunity to openly discuss challenges, explore innovative solutions, foster collaboration, and forge a path towards a more harmonised future for FCT.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Muhammad Nami commended the effort of the FCT-IRS towards ensuring harmonisation.
He said the process would no doubt provide solution to the challenges confronting taxation not only in the FCT but the country at large.
“As we seek to accelerate the developmental indices of our sociology economic fabric, it is expedient that revenue generating arms of government operate at optimal capacity and efficiency.
“Our tax system which reflects our federal structure comes with both its challenges and opportunities.
The autonomous nature of respective tax jurisdictions coupled with plethora of tax types and revenue collectibles across the three tiers of government makes for a complex scenario,” he said.
Nami, who is also the Chairman of the Joint Tax Board(JTB), said he was optimistic that the outcome of the meeting would be for the greater benefit of the FCT.
The Executive Secretary JTB, Mrs Nana-Aisha Obomeghie, said FCT-IRS under the current leadership had made immense stride in the revenue profile in the FCT.
She equally said the adoption of technology by the administration was equally commendable, adding that ,”these innovations have simplified the tax payment processes.
“All stakeholders should therefore synergies to ensure that motorcyclists and tricyclists are registered not just for revenue purposes but for security reasons.”
