Taiwo Oyedele: No plan to use Alpha-Beta or any consultant to collect taxes

Taiwo Oyedele, chairman of the presidential committee on tax policy and fiscal reforms, says there is no intention to engage Alpha-Beta Consulting or any consultant for tax collection.

Oyedele spoke during a town hall meeting where he was asked about the possibility of using a consultant like Alpha-Beta for tax collection.

The town hall on tax reform bills was hosted by Channels Television on Monday.

Alpha-Beta is a firm that collects taxes on behalf of the Lagos state government.

Oyedele said reliance on consultants for tax collection is a significant challenge in the Nigerian economy, noting that no government should rely on consultants for tax collection.

“In fact, we had a very interesting debate at the committee level. I wanted to put a language in the law that says no government should use a consultant to collect tax. We think that that is one of the biggest problems in our economy today,” he said.

“So I can confirm to you 100 percent there is no plan whatsoever in using consultant to do any of this.”

The chairman said the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) already has the necessary infrastructure to handle tax collection efficiently, particularly through its TaxPro Max platform.

According to Oyedele, the system requires only minor adjustments to accommodate the proposed reforms.

“All that we need to do once we pass these bills, go to that system and amend the language, the algorithm, so that next time MTN is filing VAT returns, there is a request that says tell me the state where they have emanated from,” he said.

Oyedele added that the same process would apply to other large corporations, such as Dangote Group and financial institutions, ensuring compliance without the need for external consultants.

‘WE CONSULTED GOVERNORS ON TAX REFORM BILLS’

Oyedele also clarified that state governors were consulted during the drafting of the tax reform bills.

“This is not rushing at all. We consulted. We had one session with the governors’ forum. We consulted the governor. They won’t say we didn’t consult them. They are saying we need to consult more, which we agree with, because consideration will never end. Even after passing the bills, you must continue to consult,” the chairman said.

“We had two sessions with the national economy council. We had almost a whole day with the finance commissioners from all over Nigeria.”

He further explained that the committee engaged with heads of internal revenue services from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on at least four occasions.

The chairman added that letters were sent to governors in each geopolitical zone, offering to meet them and their cabinets for detailed discussions.

“Some of them did not have time for us. For those who had.. we appreciate the governor of Lagos, he said you know what, let’s even set up a committee between my cabinet and your team to work through the details. We worked for more than six months,” he added.

Oyedele said the committee is always open to engagement, asserting that it is inaccurate to claim they did not make consultations.

On October 3, Tinubu asked the national assembly to consider and pass four tax reform bills.

The proposed laws include the Nigeria tax bill, tax administration bill, and the joint revenue board establishment bill.

The president is also seeking to repeal the law establishing the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and replace it with Nigeria Revenue Service.