The chief of staff to the president, Mr. Abba Kyari, has issued a query to the chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), Mr. Babatunde Fowler over variations in tax collections from 2015 to 2018.
In a letter dated August 8, 2019 and addressed to Fowler, the chief of staff wrote: “Your attached letter (FIRS/EC/CWP/0249/19/027 dated 26 July 2019) on the above subject matter, refers.
“We observed significant variances between the budgeted collections and actual collections for the period 2015 to 2018. Accordingly, you are kindly invited to submit a comprehensive variance analysis explaining the reasons for the variances between budgeted and actual collections for each main tax item for each of the years 2015 to 2018.
“Furthermore, we observed that the actual collections for the period 2015 to 2017 were significantly worse than what was collected between 2012 and 2014. Accordingly, you are kindly to explain the reasons for the poor collections.
“You are kindly invited to respond by 19 August 2019.
“Please accept the assurances of my highest regards.”
Fowler was appointed chairman of the FIRS in August 2015, but his appointment was confirmed by the Senate in December of the same year.
The query covers the period he has been in office.
He was expected to have handed over to the next most senior person in FIRS having been appointed for a renewable term of four years on August 18, 2015.
His tenure is expected to expire at the end of August, going by the date he was appointed, although there are also suggestions that the expiry date could be December, the month his appointment was confirmed.
