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From Uche Usim, Abuja
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other members of the Joint Tax Board (JTB) rose from the 136th meeting yesterday in Abuja with a resolve to cement their relationship in order to serve Nigerians better while increasing government’s revenue.
According to the chairman of the JTB, Tunde Fowler, “without effective cooperation, we can’t serve the nation.”
Fowler stated that revenue generating arms of government must talk to each other. “Between the FIRS and states’ internal revenue service (SIRS), we’ve signed an MoU on cooperation on issues of tax audit, building human capacity, protection of taxpayers’ interest and so on. We should speak with one voice. Taxpayers have to work in line with tax laws. Again, we need to fund government at all tiers, especially now that the government is diversifying the economy and we are looking beyond oil,” he said.
He also called for a joint tax audit exercise by the FIRS and the SIRS, adding that there should be information sharing on unremitted taxes discovered by either side.
Fowler declared that it was agreed at the 135th meeting of the JTB that the number of individual taxpayers should be increased to 20 million.
He revealed that Nigeria only boasts of 13,034,222 taxpayers (individual and enterprise inclusive), describing the figure as small when compared to 170 million population.
The JTB Chairman also stated that joint tax audits have been carried out in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in some states including Kano, Ogun, Rivers, Ondo, Imo, Delta, among others.
He called for greater enlightenment of taxpayers so that they see payment of taxes as an obligation and not a burden.
The Comptroller General of the NCS, Hameed Ali described the meeting as key as it afforded various revenue generating agencies the room to share ideas.
“Today, we are trying to diversify from oil and so, increase in revenue is vital. We’re witnesses to the vulnerability of the oil sector. We must look beyond oil and focus on tax, which is internally generated. We must be inward looking and self-sustaining. Again, we need to collaborate in order to plug leakages.
“We’ve been working with the JTB to have Customs at the vehicle licensing offices because Customs officers are trained to detect a genuine or cloned Customs papers. So, this will reduce issues of stolen vehicles. There is need for relevant agencies to integrate and become more efficient in serving Nigerians,” Ali stated.
Education: LRCN tasks librarians on innovation, improved service
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The registrar, Librarians’ Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN), Prof. Michael Afolabi, has reminded librarians of their enormous responsibilities and the high expectations of the public.
He challenged them to adopt new and improved ways of delivering service in line with current developments around the world.
Afolabi, who addressed 354 newly inducted librarians certified by the council for professional practice, identified some challenges in the profession, but encouraged them to look beyond the challenges and soar higher in the profession that he described as noble.
“As information managers, the society looks up to you for quick, current and quality information that is useful in addressing challenges and meeting their needs. Therefore, there must be a clear-cut improvement in your service delivery capabilities as a testimony to this certification. When that is achieved, our noble profession, librarianship, will attract more respect from all and sundry,” he said.
He stated that the LRCN would continue to contribute towards ensuring that the library and information science sector delivers maximum impact on education and learning.
“In the 21st century where information is regarded as the fourth factor of production and currency of business, it is critical for library and information scientists to work in line with the government change agenda to engender national growth and development.”
The entrance of 354 new librarians into the professional practice brings to total of 5,025 librarians that have been certified by the council.
NEMA: NEMA says 29,581 IDPs back from Chad, Cameroun
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday said that no fewer than 29,581 Nigerians that fled their communities in the north-eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa to Niger and Cameroun in the peak of Boko Haram’s terrorism have voluntarily returned home.
NEMA’s head of Media and Public Relations, Sani Datti, said in a statement that 13,046 internally displaced perons (IDPs) returned from Niger Republic while 16,595 IDPs returned from Cameroun. The statement noted that the returnees have been provided with relief support by the Federal Government, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the host communities and Nigerian citizens living in the three host countries to alleviate their suffering.
The agency further noted that there were 20,804 displaced Nigerians still living in Chad, 80,709 in Cameroun and 138,321 in Niger. The agency was optimistic of positive changes in the near future, as successes recorded by the military with the support of multi-national joint military task force in the fight against Boko Haram has began to change the humanitarian dashboard.
“The focus is gradually shifting towards reconstruction, rehabilitation, resettlement, recovery and dignified return of IDPs back home while the process for the return of Nigerian refugees from neighboring countries is equally on-going,” the statement said.
NEMA said it would continue to support and work towards bridging the identified gaps in humanitarian response through enhanced coordination, capacity building and strengthening of collaboration with the affected states and relevant stakeholders including MDAs, local and international response organizations.
INFORMATION: Minister seeks tougher punishment for piracy
From Magnus Eze, Abuja
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has called for stricter punishment for those involved in piracy. He said the measure should be stringent enough to discourage the unwholesome practice.
Mohammed, who disclosed that his ministry and thye Ministry of Justice were partnering to curb piracy, also decried the proliferation of guilds in the creative industry and said such amorphous structures would not augur well for the industry.
“We must protect the intellectual property of our artistes. We have laws already in place but there are some people who are of the view that the punishment is not stringent enough,” the minister said.
He also harped on the need to discourage Nigerians from patronising pirated products through advocacy, to create awareness on the dangers of piracy to the nation’s economy.
Speaking at the premiere of the movie “My Name is Kadi” in Abuja, the minister implored governors to encourage and support movie producers by providing incentives and creating the enabling environment for the creative industry to thrive in their respective states.
According to him, if properly harnessed through regulatory and legislative framework, the film industry has huge potential to contribute significantly to the development of the economy.
He, however, said government was creating a self-regulatory mechanism through the establishment of the Motion Picture Council of Nigeria (MOPICON) to organise and properly structure the industry.
