No Plans to Engage Alpha-Beta or Any Other Consultants for Tax Collection, Says Oyedele

Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Tax Policy and Fiscal Reforms, has firmly stated that the government has no plans to engage private consultants, including firms like Alpha-Beta Consulting, for tax collection in Nigeria.

Speaking at a town hall meeting hosted by Channels Television to discuss the proposed tax reform bills, Oyedele dismissed concerns about outsourcing tax collection to consultants. He pointed out that such reliance has been a significant obstacle to economic efficiency in the country.

“In fact, we had a very interesting debate at the committee level. I wanted to include a clause in the law that no government should use a consultant to collect tax. We think that is one of the biggest problems in our economy today,” he said. “I can confirm to you 100 percent there is no plan whatsoever to use consultants for this.”

Oyedele highlighted the capability of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to handle tax collection effectively through its TaxPro Max platform. He noted that the platform only requires minor updates to align with the proposed reforms.

“For example, when companies like MTN file VAT returns, the system will be adjusted to request details of the states where the transactions originated,” Oyedele explained.

This approach, he added, would also be applied to other major corporations, such as the Dangote Group and financial institutions, ensuring compliance and effective tax collection without the need for external contractors.