The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says its role is purely the collection of revenue for government and not keeping records of how the monies are expended.
While responding to queries by the House of Representatives Special Adhoc Committee on Petroleum Subsidy Regime, the FIRS Coordinating Director, Compliance Support Group, Dr. Dick Irri, said their task was confined to the assessment of taxpayers, collection of taxes, accounting for and enforcement of taxes that were due to the government of the Federation.
Dr Irri explained that taxes collected by the FIRS are usually shared amongst the three tiers of the government in line with the constitution of the country.
According to him, FIRS does not maintain records of what the funds are used for by the three tiers of government, saying the service also does not have the power to ask for such records.
He emphasized that the request by the Committee for information on Subsidy payments and releases were not tax related, and thus were not within the statutory powers of the Service to respond to.
The Special Adhoc Committee had written to the FIRS requesting information on Subsidy Payment releases from the Consolidated Revenue Account, Subsidy claims, lodgment of FOREX into the Consolidated Revenue Account by the NNPC, among others.
RN