Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Tax Policy and Fiscal Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, says there is no intention to engage Alpha-Beta Consulting or any consultant for tax collection.
Oyedele spoke during a town hall meeting where he was asked about the possibility of using a consultant like Alpha-Beta for tax collection.
The town hall on tax reform bills was hosted by Channels Television on Monday.
Alpha-Beta is a firm that collects taxes on behalf of the Lagos state government.
Oyedele said reliance on consultants for tax collection is a significant challenge in the Nigerian economy, noting that no government should rely on consultants for tax collection.
“In fact, we had a very interesting debate at the committee level. I wanted to put a language in the law that says no government should use a consultant to collect tax. We think that that is one of the biggest problems in our economy today,” he said.
“So I can confirm to you 100 percent there is no plan whatsoever in using consultant to do any of this.”
The chairman said the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) already has the necessary infrastructure to handle tax collection efficiently, particularly through its TaxPro Max platform.
According to Oyedele, the system requires only minor adjustments to accommodate the proposed reforms.
“All that we need to do once we pass these bills, go to that system and amend the language, the algorithm, so that next time MTN is filing VAT returns, there is a request that says tell me the state where they have emanated from,” he said.
Oyedele added that the same process would apply to other large corporations, such as Dangote Group and financial institutions, ensuring compliance without the need for external consultants.
