Buhari keeps mum on Kaduna train attack, harps on efficient tax regime

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday in Abuja, expressed his regime’s commitment to an efficient tax administration in order to improve tax revenue in the country, keeping mum on the terrorist attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train.

Hours after the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna rail tracks by terrorists, the Presidency is yet to make an official statement, The PUNCH observed.

Checks by our correspondent on Tuesday morning revealed that the presidency was yet to issue an official statement condemning the attack.

Our correspondent also observed that no statement emanated via the social media accounts of the President and via the social media accounts of his Special Assistants on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu and Femi Adesina respectively.

But, declaring open the second National Tax Dialogue Week on Tuesday, the President expressed concern at the current tax system in the country, which he claimed, was characterised by fragmented administration, multiple and sometimes, overlapping taxes.

“In most tax-efficient nations, tax administrative processes and practices are harmonised within a single system. One key deliverable of this year’s tax dialogue is to promote synergy in tax administration among the different tiers of government.

“Harmonising taxpayer identification across the country is a good start, but we must do more to promote ease of doing business (including ease of tax compliance) in Nigeria.

“On our part, we have started by clarifying in the 2021 Finance Act that FIRS is the sole authority to administer tax for the Federal Government.

“This clarification became necessary in order to avoid taxpayers being burdened with multiple tax compliance obligations towards different agencies of the same government.

“Multiplicity of tax administration is as undesirable as a multiplicity of taxes; it creates uncertainty and instability; and above all, it is inefficient,” the President said at the Dialogue themed: “Tax Harmonisation for Enhanced Revenue Generation,’’ Buhari was quoted as saying in a statement by Adesina on Tuesday titled, Nigeria must operate efficient tax administration to boost revenue, says President Buhari’.

In the face of dwindling revenues from commodities, Buhari told participants at the Tax Dialogue that there is an urgent need to maximise domestic revenue within the extant tax policy and laws.

He, therefore, proposed improved tax revenue for the country which will not necessarily impose new tax rates on Nigerians.

“We all know that good intentions are not enough as they simply cannot pay for infrastructure, security, or social amenities. We must therefore improve tax revenue without necessarily raising new taxes.

“Revenue from commodities, including crude oil, are too volatile and unreliable. Therefore, I pledge the government’s support for any viable initiative for improving tax revenue that should emanate from this dialogue,’’ he said.