The Joint Revenue Board (JRB) has called on security authorities to act swiftly to eliminate illegal roadblocks set up along the country’s transport corridors for the collection of taxes, levies, rates and charges.

The resolution was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the 158th meeting of the board, held on December 9 and 10, in Abuja.

This was conveyed in a statement signed by Zacch Adedeji, chairman of the Joint Revenue Board, and Olusegun Adesokan, its executive secretary.

The meeting, themed “Managing Transition: Driving Transformation, Building the Future of Tax Administration in Nigeria,” focused on the board’s transition from the Joint Tax Board to the Joint Revenue Board and its implications for national and sub-national revenue administration.

The board described the transition to the JRB as a “bold step” towards a more coordinated, efficient and coherent framework for revenue administration in the country.

The revenue board said the new structure is expected to strengthen collaboration among revenue authorities, improve information sharing, and enhance tax compliance nationwide.

“The Board commends the federal government for the far-reaching fiscal policy and tax reforms, noting their potential for enhanced revenue mobilization, promotion of economic competitiveness, improvement of ease of doing business, and deepened fiscal sustainability across the federation,” the statement reads.

“The Board affirmed that the future of tax administration hinges on accurate, comprehensive and interoperable data, and resolved that strengthening data sharing frameworks and deploying analytics tools for revenue administration purposes will promote streamlined processes and harmonization of revenue practices.

“The Board restates its commitment to eradicating the menace of non-state actors in the nation’s revenue administration value-chain, and calls on the Office of the National Security Adviser, Nigeria Police Force, and all relevant security agencies to take immediate steps towards eliminating illegal road-blocks mounted and operated along the nation’s road transport corridors for the purpose of collection of taxes, levies, rates and charges, while ensuring the integrity of the nation’s tax administration process, especially at the sub-national level.”

The board further emphasised the outright abolition of the design, production, issuance and enforcement of road stickers and similar instruments by both state and non-state actors.

The JRB urged Nigerians to resist such practices and report offenders to security agencies for appropriate sanctions.

In addition, the board called on all states to fast-track the passage of the harmonised taxes and levies (approved list for collection) bill into law.

According to the revenue board, the move would ensure uniform application of taxes, rates and levies at the sub-national level, in line with the objectives of the ongoing national tax reforms.

The tax reform laws were signed by President Bola Tinubu in June as part of a wider effort to simplify and strengthen Nigeria’s fiscal system. (Nigerian Tribune)

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