Govt investigates 200 whistleblowing tips on tax officials, payers
THE Federal Government may have begun investigation into over 200 whistleblowing tips on tax officials and taxpayers, which involves under declaration of taxes as well as demand by taxpayers and receipt of gratifications by tax officials.
The government through the Federal Ministry of Finance has also commenced the process of sanitising the tax administration and revenue collection system of dishonest operatives.
The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who disclosed this yesterday, in Abuja, while presiding over the meeting of the Whistleblower Unit in her ministry and the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), said that the sanitisation of the tax administration and revenue collection system has become necessary as part of efforts to enhance compliance.
She confirmed that the ministry had requested and secured the suspension of two senior tax officials in Delta and Benue states based on verified tips from whistle-blowers.
“The ministry is currently analysing over 200 additional whistleblowing tips, including recordings between tax officials and potential taxpayers in which various practices, designed to reduce tax payable, were detailed.
“These practices include demands for personal gratification by tax officers, promises to procure backdated tax clearance certificates, and offers to conspire to reduce taxes payable,” she said.
Already, to deal with the influx of the whistleblowing tips, the minister has directed the reorganisation of the Whistleblower Unit to fast track reports relating to those in the revenue generating agencies.
“Encouraging our citizens to pay taxes is a matter of law but it is also a matter of trust. Those who work in our tax offices must therefore, demonstrate the highest level of integrity.
“However, people will not be encouraged to pay if they believe that those involved in the assessment are not transparent or are dishonest. We will continue to sanitise the system and also improve our controls,” the Minister stated.
She lauded members of the public for volunteering valuable information, including voice recordings and other evidence to the Whistleblower Unit in the ministry, while enjoining members of the public to desist from the procurement of tax certificates that are not consistent with their true income.
“We have cases of procurement of tax clear- ance certificates with no corresponding records or assessments in the tax offices. In such cases, although payments have been made, but there are no underlying assessment. So automatically, we will flag such companies for investigation. “The data analysis being undertaken within the Federal Ministry of Finance is readily exposing those who have obtained tax clearance certificates that are either forged or are not consistent with their true income levels,” she added.