The Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, has stated that it is seeking to bring more people into its tax net to solve the revenue problem plaguing the country.
Adedeji, who was speaking at the second annual national dialogue of the NPO Reports in Abuja said the service is not looking to increase the tax payable.
Adedeji who was represented by the Director, Intergovernmental Affairs, Umaru Ahmed Idris, stated that the country is having an infrastructural deficit across all sectors, which needs intervention but the government can’t do that with the current level of revenue streams.
“Now, a lot has been said about whether we need new taxes to generate revenue. As someone once said, and this resonates with the current administration, we don’t need new taxes. We need new taxpayers.
“Taxpayers who are gainfully employed, who are involved in some kind of business, to be able to pay the taxes. So, we do need new taxes, but this administration knows also that we need new taxpayers. And we’re doing all in our power to ensure that happens.”
The chairman expressed optimism that all critical government revenue generation agencies will surpass their revenue targets before the end of the year.
