209 Tax Cases: Federal Government Constitutes Eight Tax Tribunals For Recovering $18.804 billion, N205.654 billion, €0.821 million.

By CLEMENT NWOJI, Abuja

The Federal Government has constituted eight Tax Appeal Tribunals nationwide for resolution of over 209 pending revenue tax cases amounting to about US$18.804 billion, N205.654 billion and €0.821 million.

Also, a federal government committee is currently reviewing the Nation’s revenue data as far back as 1999 to date just as it is mandated to engage in monthly review of the revenue performance Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) in a bid to ensure transparency and shore up the government revenue.

Minister finance, Hajia Zainab Ahmed, made these disclosures at a World. Press Conference during which, she took stock of achievements of the ministry and the ways forward.

She said the government is perfecting strategies and deploying technology to ensure that tax evasion and avoidance are minimized; up to 90 Percent customs collection is achieved in ports in few years to come while enhancing collaboration among its revenue generation agencies to increase their collections.

However, she said that despite the revenue shortfall, the government has been able to pay salaries and service debts 100 Percent, released seven months overhead funding, and N995bn Capital releases by 21st December 2018.

The Minister said: “We have recently constituted eight Tax Appeal Tribunals (‘TATs’) across the nation to accelerate the resolution of over 209 pending cases relating to tax revenues of about US$18.804 billion, N205.654 billion &€0.821 million. This is critical to ensure that tax payers get a fair hearing and expedite resolution of tax disputes. Furthermore, through this tax dispute resolution mechanism, we hope to reduce incidences of tax evasion and improve payers’ confidence whilst ensuring fairness and transparency of tax.

“To improve accountability and ultimately improve the performance of Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) the expenditure plans of these entities are being reviewed. This initiative will be backed by a more proactive revenue tracking and monitoring mechanism

“The Committee has been working judiciously to reconcile revenue data as far back as 1999 and will be reviewing our revenue performance on a monthly basis. This data will be useful in tracking the historical trends and in setting stretch targets to drive the performance of key revenue generating entities.

Mrs Ahmed indicated that in 2018, despite the revenue shortfall the government had been able to pay inherited debts & liabilities which it received in 2015,

She said: “These debt & liabilities include:’Paris club over deductions: $5.4 billion; Joint Venture (JV) Cash Call: $6.8 billion; Contractor/Export Expansion Grant (EEG): N1.9 trillion; Refund to States for roads: N488 billion.”

Further, the Minister said, ” As part of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration’s efforts to ensure all pensioners get their entitlements, the Ministry of Finance, recently made the following payments among others: Through the Pension Commission (Pencom), we have paid the sum of N54 billion to settle outstanding pension arrears from 2014, 2015 and 2016, as well as paying pensions claims up to March 2017

“Based on verification outcome by the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), we have also paid over 2,000 former workers of our defunct national carrier- Nigeria Airways Limited. We are making monthly payments of 9,215 former workers of NITEL/Mtel after over 12 years via Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD). Also paid over N571m as gratuity and arrears to 174 Biafra War Affected Retired Police Officers (WARPRO) in October 2017.

“We have implemented several initiatives targeted at recovery, including: Whistleblower unit that recovered over N8.5 billion and $465 million among others from the 1,051 investigations conducted from tip offs received; Efficiency unit that has been charged with reviewing Federal Government’s overhead expenditures; and Voluntary Assets & Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) under which over N35 billion was recovered with a significant recorded increase to our tax base.”