Minister Inaugurates 13-man Committee To Harmonise Revenue In FCT

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mallam Muhammad Bello has inaugurated a 13-man committee to harmonise revenue collection and generation across the FCT.

Bello while inaugurating the team in Abuja yesterday, said it had the mandate of guiding and addressing critical areas that would make revenue activities unique in the territory.

He said the committee is expected to look into concerns arising from taxpayers, especially the challenges of collection and leakages.

“The committee will diverse strategies to enhance revenue generation, and collection and improve compliance. It is important to us to modernise the taxes system in the Federal Capital Territory through unique technology and stakeholder engagement.

“If the residents all pay their taxes in a right manner it will enhance the overall economic development of the territory, which will befit all,” he said.

The minister said for the aims to be achieved there must be a very close collaboration with the area councils chairmen that are the centre of activities.

Responding, the chairman of the committee and acting chairman of FCT-IRS, Haruna Abdullahi, said the concept had been ongoing for a very long time, and noted that the inauguration of the committee is one step, which would formalise what they are about to do in the territory.

He noted that the harmonisation would continue one step at a time, as the secretariat had been inaugurated, and it would drive the whole process.

Abdullahi explained that even though the FCT-IRS is supposed to drive the process, which is what it has been doing, with the support of the Area Councils and other stakeholders its role continues.

According to him, the committee is provided for in the FCT-IRS Act, and there is a term of reference for it, and the whole idea was to harmonise and make sure that all revenues are collected seamlessly, in line with the ease of doing business.

The committee members were drawn from the six Area Councils, secretariats, departments, and agencies of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).