Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammad Bello, has expressed concern over multiple agencies and departments responsible for collecting various types of taxes and fees from businesses and individuals in the nation’s capital.
Speaking at the Stakeholders’ Resolution Retreat on Harmonisation of Revenue Collection and Promotion of Ease of Doing Business in the FCT, held in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Thursday, Muhammad Bello, said this has created confusion, duplication, and inefficiency, within the system.
To this end, the minister has called for the harmonization of revenue collection across the Federal Capital Territory.
Bello who emphasised that the harmonization of revenue and promotion of ease of doing business in the FCT are not just technical or administrative issues noted that they are critical components of his administration’s efforts to create a more prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable Capital Territory for all.
According to the minister, “FCT IRS was created to meet this challenge amongst others. However, despite its current efforts, we all must appreciate that there is a lot of room for improvement which I am sure this Retreat will look into critically and recommend ways for advancement in this regard.
“By drawing from the experiences of similar agencies and other stakeholders from across Nigeria and cross-fertilizing ideas, this Retreat will not only enable the FCT to meet its projected targets but will also help in shoring up the revenue base of other sub-nationals across the country as well.
“FCT Administration has over the last few years embarked on some reform programmes to encourage the establishment and growth of Small and Medium Enterprises in the nation’s capital.
“Amongst them is the implementation of a digital platform for the issuance of permits, licenses, and approvals known as the FCT Business Portal, which will allow businesses and individuals to apply for and receive all necessary permits and licenses online, without the need for physical visits to government offices.”
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Sir, Olusade Adesola, Bello maintained that his administration is working to streamline and simplify regulations and procedures for business registration, property registration, and land use planning, adding that the reforms will help to create a more transparent, predictable, and efficient regulatory environment for businesses.
He maintained that none of these reforms can be successful without the support and cooperation of all stakeholders.
He added that active participation and engagement of businesses, investors, and civil society organisations will ensure that the reforms are effective, inclusive, and perhaps above all else, sustained.
Earlier, the acting executive chairman of FCT – Internal Revenue Service, Haruna Abdullahi, said the unit made significant progress since the previous retreat, saying they are now ready to take the next steps toward achieving a harmonized revenue collection system that is efficient, transparent, and fair.
According to him, “It is our vision to establish a world-class revenue collection system in the FCT that is transparent, accountable, and efficient. We aim to achieve this by creating a single, unified platform and dashboard that will enable us to track and monitor all revenue generated in the FCT.
“Our goal is to ensure that all revenue in FCT is properly accounted for and reported, with the highest level of transparency and accuracy. This will help to build trust and confidence among the people and encourage them to support our revenue generation efforts. We also aim to use technology to streamline our revenue collection processes, reduce inefficiencies, and improve service delivery to the people.”
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