Nami, in a statement obtained yesterday, noted that the feat
was made possible by the uncommon leadership of the President Muhammadu Buhari,
the active support of its supervisor, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget
and National Planning, the backing of the National Assembly and its leadership
as well as the cooperation of all other stakeholders in the tax system.
The companies included the Nigeria Liquefied Petroleum Gas
(NLPG) Company Limited, Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited,
Mobil Producing Unlimited, Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited, MTN Nigeria
Communications Plc, Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited, Chevron
Nigeria Limited, Total E& P Nigeria Limited, Airtel Networks Limited,
Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited, Nestle Nigeria Plc, and Dangote
Cement.
Others were Nigerian Breweries Plc, Total Upstream Nigeria
Limited, Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited, Nigeria Agip Oil Company
Limited, British American Tobacco Marketing, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Stanbic
IBTC Bank Plc and Lafarge Africa Plc.
“The service also appreciates Northern Cables Processing and
Manufacturing Limited (NOCACO) and Ikeja Electric Plc for being most improved
in tax filing and VAT compliance respectively. We urge all taxpayers to join
hands with the Federal Inland Revenue Service to make taxation the pivot of our
nation’s development and economic growth,” Nami added.
However, the acknowledgment came amidst controversies over
specific remittances that had raised questions still begging for answers.
THISDAY had reported last Friday that MTN Nigeria
Communications Plc, which was among the top taxpayers being celebrated, had
claimed it remitted the sum of N618.7 billion in both direct and indirect taxes
to FIRS in 2021, raising concerns in the public.
Nami, in the statement however, commended the contribution
of the companies, noting that they defied the harsh global economic conditions
imposed by the lingering COVID-19 pandemic to produce a heroic performance in
tax payment, compliance and support.
He said, “The combined efforts of all taxpayers made it
possible for the service to achieve the tax revenue collection of 2021 which
provided our governments with necessary funds to meet their social contracts
with the citizens.”
He further highlighted their support and “very laudable
performances in tax compliance, tax payment and timely responses to enquiries”.
MTN had in a statement on April 2, 2022, which was issued by
the company’s secretary, Uto Ukpanah, claimed that it paid the sum in direct and
indirect taxes to the FIRS in the 2021 tax year, making it the largest single
biggest contributor to taxes in Nigeria.
The company had added that its total tax contribution to all
government agencies was 13.5 per cent of FIRS’ total collection for the year.
“In 2021, MTN Nigeria’s total tax contribution to all
government agencies including the FIRS amounted to N757.6 billion while FIRS
collected a total of N6.4 trillion tax revenue in the year,” the statement had
stated.
Nonetheless, THISDAY calculations had revealed that the
N618.7 billion tax payment as claimed by MTN represented less than 10 per cent
of the N6.4 trillion that was reported as total collection by the service for
the year in reference.
Hence, MTN’s claim that it contributed 13 per cent of total
FIRS collections of N6.4 trillion would mean it actually remitted N832 billion
to the federal government in the period in question.
Following the apparent discrepancy unraveled by the THISDAY
checks, using MTN’s prior statement, the former raised pertinent questions and
sought clarification from both the apex revenue agency and the
telecommunications company on why the final taxes was under-declared as it
appears to be the case.
Regrettably, the FIRS has declined to provide THISDAY with
the specific amount paid by the company as taxes but said the figure churned
out by MTN does not tally with its own account.
Yet, the onus falls on FIRS as a matter of transparency and
confidence in the management of public accounts to make proper rendition to
Nigerians.
The development particularly smacks of negligence on the
part of the service and requires that both parties unravel the truth.
Sources confided in THISDAY that the refusal of both FIRS
and MTN to do the needful contradicts the provisions of the Freedom of
Information Act (FOI) which among other things, forbids companies and agencies
of the government from withholding critical information that is in the public
interest.
Observers also said the attitude of both companies serves to
undermine the anti-corruption agenda of the administration of President
Muhammadu Buhari.
Specifically, Section 2,
sub-section 4 of the FOI Act requires that “a public institution shall
ensure that information referred to in this section is widely disseminated and
made readily available to members of the public through various means, including print, electronic,
and online sources, and at
offices of such public institutions.
Analysts also said MTN Nigeria, as a corporate entity cannot
afford to shy away from the principles of transparency and accountability in
the interest of its shareholders and the public in general by detailing the
various taxes it paid to the government within the year in question.
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