Provide value for taxpayers money, FIRS urges African govts

Governments across Africa must begin to change governance process to boost public confidence by providing value for taxpayers’ money, Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Muhammad Nami, has said.

This, he said, would improve revenue collection on the continent, according to a statement released on Thursday by Nami’s Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Johannes Wojuola.

The FIRS chairman made the call at the opening ceremony of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) 7th general assembly, held in Lagos on Tuesday.

The event was themed, ‘Rethinking Revenue Strategies: The Human Face of Taxation’.

Nami said it was imperative for African tax administrators to mobilise and speak with one voice as a regional bloc on global tax issues for their collective interests.

Nami said, “The fiscal social contract, which hinges on the willingness of the citizens to pay tax in return for the provision of public service, is a clarion call on the government at all levels in Africa to rethink governance.

“In my view, if we must transform the tax system and enhance revenue collection in Africa, there is a need for the governance at all levels to engender public confidence and trust in government by providing value for taxpayers’ money.”

He also stated that governments should reconsider how projects are reported in the public space, with such reports communicating to convey the idea that taxpayers’ money’s is used to fund infrastructural projects.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu who was represented by Chairman of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), Mr Hamzat Ayodele Subair, also said that there was a need to give taxation a human face, by implementing projects with taxpayers’ moneys that impact the lives of the citizens.