By Remi Johnson
To prevent tax evasion, the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service ,FCT-IRS, is collaborating with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ,EFCC to enforce compliance.
The Acting Executive Chairman of FCT-IRS Mr Michael Ango sought the collaboration when he paid a working visit to the Executive Chairman of EFCC, Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede at the Commission’s Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.
He explained that the partnership was important because of the statutory roles of both agencies, to ensure that all revenue due to the FCT is collected and accounted for, to improve revenue generation.
Ango noted that most suspects being investigated by EFCC for financial crimes were not tax compliant and it would be helpful if such persons were interrogated as to their tax status and required to fulfil their tax obligations as part of the investigation process.
The FCT-IRS boss stated that this approach could also be extended to forfeitures of assets or monies of suspects to the EFCC by the Courts.
“When suspects are being investigated or charged to Court, we would like to know, Mr Chairman their compliance level, if they escape from one door, we can catch them through
another door.
“We will therefore be happy to partner with you, like we are doing with your sister agency, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU)” Ango said.
The FCT-IRS Boss also said the service would focus more on harmonisation of revenue collection this year, hence the need for support and collaboration of all person and agencies such as the EFCC .
According to Ango, this will further help the Nyesom Wike – led Administration to consolidate on the massive infrastructural development in the FCT.
Mr. Ango condoled with the EFCC on the recent lose of its operative and commended the EFCC Executive Chairman for the excellent work he and the Commission have been doing to tackle financial crimes in the country since he assumed duty as Chief Executive of the Commission.
In his remarks, the EFCC Executive Chairman, Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede thanked the FCT-IRS chairman and his team for the visit and expressed willingness to partner with the Service to improve revenue collection in the FCT.
Olukoyede however stressed the need to have a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to highlight the specific areas of collaboration between the two organisations.
The EFCC Chairman further lauded the efforts of Mr. Michael Ango since his appointment as Acting Executive Chairman, adding that he has been keeping tabs with the achievements.
He pointed out that he was not also surprised about the aggressive infrastructural development in the FCT carried out by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, which shows that taxpayer’s money is being used judiciously across the territory.