The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has commended the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for its strong progress in delivering on its core mandate and has pledged continued support for ongoing tax reforms in Nigeria.
Speaking at the opening of the IMF-supported Headquarters Mission at the Revenue House in Abuja, Paulo Paz, a senior economist at the IMF Fiscal Affairs Department, commended FIRS for its implemented reforms and reaffirmed the Bretton Woods institution’s backing for the new tax reform laws.
“We want to know how we can best support you with this new challenge. Our take on the four tax laws is, first, a recognition of the outstanding work that FIRS has been providing to the citizens.
“You have at the same time the recognition and new responsibilities with these very powerful laws, which will increase the relevance of the tax administration in Nigeria. I want to express our honour of being here and being a partner of FIRS. Thank you for your trust in our advice. We congratulate you on the good results so far. There is more to come, and we are here to help.”
Zacch Adedeji, chairman of FIRS, represented by his Chief of Staff, Tayo Koleosho, extended gratitude to the IMF for its continuous support, particularly noting the collaboration on digital transformation, VAT automation, and compliance automation.
In her remark, Bolaji Akintola, coordinating director, Corporate Services Group at FIRS, acknowledged the IMF’s pivotal role in the FIRS tax reforms aimed at boosting Nigeria’s domestic revenue.
She noted that with the IMF’s support, the FIRS conducted two systematic evaluations in 2018 and 2023 using the Tax Administration Diagnostic Tool (TADAT) to identify weaknesses.
Some of these identified issues have since been addressed in the four tax reform laws signed by President Bola Tinubu.
