The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has said that its mandate is to collect taxes that are due to the federation and the Federal Government and not to grant waivers.

The Executive Chairman of FIRS, Muhammad Nami, stated this in a swift reaction to a news report on how some companies, including Dangote Sinotruck Limited, Lafarge and Honeywell were granted tax waiver on pioneer status to the tune of N16 trillion by the Service and the other Federal Government agencies.

A statement by the Special Assistant to the Executive Chairman, FIRS Media and Communication, Johannes Oluwatobi Wojuola, quoted Nami as saying: “FIRS does not have the power or responsibility of facilitating or even implementing tax waivers to investors in Nigeria. There are relevant agencies of government that are charged with such responsibility.”

He, however, noted that the Service is not unmindful of the objectives of granting tax waivers to investors, which he said include “helping to grow local companies, stimulate economic growth, and earn investors’ confidence”.

He said he was “confident that companies, which are now enjoying tax breaks will eventually exit shortly and begin to pay taxes to the Federal Government as is currently being done by the companies that have equally enjoyed such tax breaks in the past and are now paying taxes in hundreds of billions of naira.

“Such companies will continue to pay taxes to the government so long as they remain in business.”
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