Reveal details of Nigeria-France tax MoU, Agency gives FIRS ultimatum
The Impacthive Centre for Accountability, Democracy and Rights has given the Federal Inland Revenue Service a seven-day deadline to disclose important agreements and appointments, referencing the Freedom of Information Act.
In a letter sent to the FIRS Executive Chairman at the agency's headquarters in Abuja, ICADAR asked the FIRS to provide particular documents and information regarding its tax agreement with France within seven working days of receiving the request, in accordance with legal requirements.
The letter was signed by Dr. Bello Ishaq, ICADAR’s Executive Director.
It stated that the request aims to highlight concerns related to international cooperation agreements and the revenue collection processes within Nigeria’s tax system.
ICADAR emphasized that the request was made “in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act,” underscoring that adherence to the specified timeframe is obligatory.
Among the requested information is “a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding recently signed between the FIRS and the French tax authority, Direction Générale des Finances Publiques.”
ICADAR also requested full disclosure regarding the involvement of a private firm in revenue collection.
Specifically, the organization sought details about “the procedure followed in the appointment of Xpress Payment Solutions Limited as a Treasury Single Account collecting agent.”
It further urged transparency regarding the company’s ownership and financial benefits, requesting “information on the individuals behind Xpress Payment Solutions Limited and the percentage of revenue the firm is permitted to retain as fees for its services.”
The advocacy group insisted that the information be provided by the legal deadline, holding the FIRS accountable to its clear responsibilities under the FOI Act.
In the letter, ICADAR explicitly stated: “Please furnish us with the requested information within the stipulated period as mandated by the Act.”
In the meantime, the Peoples Redemption Party has expressed strong disapproval of two recent government actions: the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the French Directorate Générale des Finances Publiques, along with the appointment of Xpress Payment Solutions Limited as a collecting agent for the federal government’s Treasury Single Account.
In a statement signed by their National Chairman, Falalu Bello, the party criticized both decisions as “reckless” and a threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty, economy, and security. They argued that the FIRS-DGFP MoU, which centers on digital transformation and information exchange, effectively delegates national tax data management to a foreign government.
“Despite the public statement from the FIRS supporting the MoU, our concerns and objections regarding the agreement continue to be fully valid until the contents of the MoU are made public,” the statement read.
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