FCT-IRS Takes Over Revenue Collection For FCTA, Area Councils

In a bid to control revenue losses due to inefficient revenue collection systems, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the six area councils have jointly designated FCT Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) as the single revenue entity to collect all taxes and non-tax revenues collectible by both levels of government in the territory.

To this end, the FCT-IRS will collect and report in business premises, shops and kiosk levy, including howsoever described; food and water related handling permit, Park & Pay/street parking, wrong parking charges, market taxes, levies and charges in hotels, restaurants and event centres consumption tax.

Also, areas where the FCTA only has statutory collection responsibilities that were delegated to the FCT-IRS include environment fee or levy, waste management charges, sewage connections, environmental impact/ assessment charges, howsoever described.

Others are outdoor advertisements, mobile advert and signages, howsoever described; telecommunication mast and communication equipment, howsoever described and any other revenue heads to be so agreed from time to time by the FCTA.

However, ground rents, tenement rate and other land related charges, howsoever described, should be integrated into the property tax etc. gaming and betting, howsoever described; and any other revenue heads to be so agreed from time to time by the Joint Revenue Committee of the FCT.

This template was disclosed yesterday, at the press briefing on the resolutions reached at the Stakeholders’ Retreat on the harmonisation of revenue and ease of doing business in the FCT.

The permanent secretary of FCTA, Mr Olusade Adesola, who performed the official unveiling of the template at the event, said it was pursuant to the resolutions of the retreat tagged: “ Akure Accord,” which the immediate past FCT minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, inaugurated the FCT Joint Revenue Committee chaired by the chairman of the FCT IRS, Haruna Abdullahi.

Adesola added that the overarching outcome of the “Akure Accord” is the phasing out of technical partners from direct collection of revenues by area councils.

The permanent secretary further said that each area council and any of their agents designated to identify, assess and account for any revenue head for this resolution shall work collaboratively with the FCT-IRS towards the actualisation of this objective including in the sharing of necessary data.

Also, FCT-IRS executive chairman, Haruna Abdullahi, who spoke through the service’s director, Tax operations, Malik Tukur, described the development as a pivotal moment in the history of the FCT, as it is in line with its vision for a more prosperous and business-friendly FCT.