RMAFC to tackle FIRS over clauses on financial Bill

Set for the public hearing on Finance Act, indications are that the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) may head on a collision cause with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) over what the Commission describes  as certain ouster clauses in the Finance Bill may adversely affect its constitutional mandate.

   In a press statement signed on behalf of the Commission yesterday by the Chairman, Public Affairs and Communications Committee, Dr.Rilwan Hussein Abarshi, he said the proposed Finance Bill set for public hearing today if passed in its current state without proper amendments to some of the clauses will not bode well for the economy.

Specifically, he said: ‘‘The proposed amendment to S.68(1-6) of the FIRS establishment Act and Section 4(1-3) of the Finance (Control and Management Act if passed; will infringe on the constitutional mandate of monitoring accrual into the Federation Account as well as revenue payable into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), the Board of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA),Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA), the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF and other revenue generating agencies.

“The Finance Bill will foreclose any form of checks and balances as envisaged by the 1999 constitution, whilst exposing government revenues to leakages as all under remittances or unremitted funds will not be checked by government agencies.

“It will cause inter-agency conflicts, unnecessary litigation and disservice to the nation just as the Commission will not be able to pay the engaged consultants after recovery and the engaged consultants may drag the Commission to courts.”

He said the Bill if passed as it is, may lead to job cuts as its employees as well as over 500 consultants will be thrown into the labour market.

‘’With so many employees and over 500 consultants on the wage bill of the Commission for the third phase of the project which covers MDA’s and private companies; the monitoring duties of Commission’s staff, livelihoods of these Nigerians hang on the balance if this ludicrous bill sees the light of day,’’ he stressed.