Mr Emmanuel Ekene Nnamani, the chairman of Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS), has said the Agency’s internally generated revenue of ₦19.3 trillion for 2024 is nearly achieved.
Similarly, he said there is need for government at all levels to develop policies that would help in sustaining the environment so as to address challenges arising from poor urban planning.
Nnamani spoke at The Tax Experience organized by the Tax Club of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka with the theme, “The Role of Taxation in Shaping Nigeria’s Fiscal Future: Trends and Opportunities”, held at the Faculty of Law Auditorium, University of Nigeria Enugu Campus,
According to him, hazards such as flooding and fire incidents result from people building on water channels and unauthorized places, noting that such disasters can be avoided with a proper development policy.
“Some people build across waterways, gas pipelines, and energy lines, creating avoidable hazards. A regulatory body must ensure adherence to development policies,” Nnamani said.
Nnamani also called for a comprehensive national identity system as a fundamental step to addressing Nigeria’s tax administration challenges.
He noted that there is a gap in the tax system between Nigeria and developed countries which is affecting effective implementation of tax policies in the country.
The tax boss said developed nations such as the United Kingdom have developed a unique national identity number which is used to identify eligible taxpayers and monitor the level of compliance.
He added that such a system should be replicated in Nigeria without which ‘granting tax exemptions or waivers will only create opportunities for tax evasion.”
Nnamani expressed the view that granting tax waivers in Nigeria could be exploited by those outside the exemption bracket, adding that the government should look inward and come up with tax policies that suit its system rather than completely adopt foreign ones.
On the delay in completing projects in the country, Nnamani attributed it to inefficiency on the part of government officials and lack of willingness to complete them adding that it has resulted in infrastructural deficit bedeviling the country.
While noting the importance of technology in revenue generation, the Regional Head, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, for Abia, Anambra, and Enugu States, Dr. Charles Robin-Njoku, who was represented by Mr. Brightwell Asemota, said using technology helps in increasing revenue generation citing the progress the agency has made in automating its revenue generation processes.
“Automation improved revenue collection from ₦6 trillion to ₦12.3 trillion last year, and our target of ₦19.3 trillion for 2024 is nearly achieved,” she said.
