PRESS RELEASE:FCT Inland Revenue Service for inauguration next week

 

Against the backdrop of the recent clearance of its newly appointed Chairman/CEO, Abdulahi Ote Attah, by the Senate, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has disclosed that the FCT Inland Revenue Service (FCT IRS) will be inaugurated next week.

 

The Minister made this revelation while addressing members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Abuja Branch during its 4^th Annual General Meeting held in Abuja, Thursday, August 17, 2017.

 

Bello said the FCT IRS when fully operational will tackle the incidence of multiple taxation in the Territory with a view to streamlining all taxes in the FCT. According to him, “I’m sure that by next week, we are inaugurating the new FCT Internal Revenue Service. Some taxes in the FCT were collected on our behalf by the Federal Inland Revenue Service, but now we have an Act that clearly stipulates what we are supposed to do and what we need to collect.

 

“I do know that as manufacturers in FCT and all over the country, one of the greatest complaints is that you have been dealing with so many agencies with respect to revenue collection. That has a way of bringing lack of transparency and nuisance value to many of you.

 

Bello while empathizing with the manufacturers in the FCT whose businesses face imminent relocation as a result of infrastructural development, noted, “The main challenge of course is for those of you that are not operating within strictly designated areas meant for manufacturing. We are trying to be proactive to appreciate the fact that most of you set up at a time when you didn’t have the full information and already you are investors, you are employing labour and there obviously will be substantial amount of economic waste if some of you were to be relocated.

 

“You are very important economic partners because of the goods and services that you provide and the labour that you employ and then the taxes that you pay from time to time.

 

“So, we are trying to see those that can be integrated and those that we can make alternatives for. That is why so many of you have not been able to get title documents. But I do hope that in the next few months, we can sort out some of these things,” the Minister assured.

 

Bello however appealed to manufacturers in the FCT to continue to pay their taxes, saying it is only by so doing that government will have enough resources to provide basic infrastructure in the city.  

 

The FCT Minister nonetheless promised to improve the relationship between manufacturers and Agencies under the FCT Administration, especially the land department, in line with the Federal Government’s policy of improving the ease of doing business in the country.

 

In his remark, the President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Frank Udemba Jacobs, thanked the FCT Minister for finding time to interact with manufacturers in the FCT, adding, “This we all believe would further update you on how the manufacturing sector is faring.

 

He however pledged to continue to champion the cause for a better business environment in the FCT and other parts of the country.  

 

Cosmas Uzodinma 
Chief Press Secretary 
To FCT Minister