Tambuwal to FG: Stop arbitrary tax waivers

BY EMMA OVUAKPORIE
ABUJA—SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Mr Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Monday asked the Federal Government to stop arbitrary tax waivers given to certain companies, saying this had further reduced the revenue base of the country.

Tambuwal, speaking during a courtesy call by members of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, stated that unnecessary waivers for certain privileged companies had helped to deny Nigeria revenue and promote importation of irrelevant products that could be produced locally by Nigerians.

He charged the Federal Government to stop politicizing taxation as “we are aware that some companies enjoy tax waivers that they do not deserve.”

The speaker said: “Recently, I received information that a lot of waivers was granted to some companies in this country, I believe we must review our waivers’ granting policies because we have in the past budget with high deficit.

“How do you bridge this gap while you are busy granting waivers on goods that ordinarily we produce? I use this opportunity to call on the executive arm of government to review all our waiver policy and, indeed, our importation policy.

“We allow all manners of goods into this country but I believe that we have to take a critical look at this. For example, we allow importation of tooth-picks and certain products into this country, but if we disallow the importation of tooth-picks, our people can take advantage of that market and maximize it for the common good of our youths in particular, where unemployment is confronting us.

“As long as we continue to allow all forms of products to be imported into this country, I believe we are also helping in aggravating our situation of unemployment to our detriment.

“The House of Representatives has been known for supporting any bill that will further strengthen and improve our revenue generation but in doing that, we will support you and other agencies of government that will enhance revenue generation for the betterment of our economy.

“We in this country have been playing politics with tax and wages. These are serious matters that we must stop playing politics with because revenue generation is key and critical to the economic development of any country.

“We must be serious, especially when it comes to tax and revenue generation and administration. We are ready to give you every necessary legislative support and, indeed, the executive arm of government to administer and generate the revenue that will support our national budget and, indeed, the general tax administration system.

On the Petroleum Industry Bill, the speaker said all members of the House had been given copies to study properly, so they could adequately make contributions when presented at the plenary.

Earlier, the Executive Chairman of FIRS, Mrs Ifueko Omogui Okauro, had presented a plethora of requests to the speaker which bordered on the review of colonial tax laws, tax multiplication, and alignment of state taxation processes with the FIRS to reduce the confusion in the system.

She explained that “wholesome regime of our income tax laws has become necessary as different penalties are applied for different offences and the need to as a matter of urgency, review all our colonial tax laws.”

She pleaded for understanding with the members of House of Representatives to give her management a listening hear when their requests were eventually presented to the House for deliberations.

On PIB, Okauro said “the eventual passage of the Bill would make it easy for FIRS to properly tax the oil industry operators.”