PUNCH
A report by the Auditor-General of the Federation has unearthed tax irregularities amounting to N14.33bn across more than 30 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
The findings, disclosed in the Auditor-General’s Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses, highlight serious lapses in tax deductions, remittances, and compliance with financial regulations between 2020 and 2021.
The report revealed that six MDAs were responsible for N129.34m in under-deduction of taxes.
Paragraphs 234 and 235 of the Financial Regulations (2009) mandate accounting officers to ensure that all applicable taxes, such as Value Added Tax and Withholding Tax, are deducted and remitted promptly to the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
However, the audit observed widespread breaches of these provisions.
The Federal Road Safety Corps, Abuja, was identified as the highest offender, with an under-deduction of N90.57m, while the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Abuja, recorded the smallest shortfall of N623,162.80.
The audit report read, “The sum of N129,341,764.04 was the amount of under deduction of taxes by six ministries, departments and agencies, and
“The Federal Road Safety Corps, Abuja, has the highest amount of N90,579,554.92 while the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Abuja, has the least amount of N623,162.80.”
Other agencies implicated include Federal Polytechnic Bida, Niger State; Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company Plc, Abuja; National Water Resources Institute, Kaduna; and Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria.
A more concerning irregularity was the non-deduction of taxes, which amounted to N2.64bn across 21 MDAs.
The report noted that these agencies failed to deduct taxes from payments made to contractors and other beneficiaries, violating established financial regulations.
The NSPM, Abuja, led the defaulting agencies in this category with a discrepancy of N1.01bn, while the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, was the least offender, with an amount of N617,427.66.
The report read, “The sum of N2,636,147,740.99 was the amount of taxes not deducted from payments to several beneficiaries by 21 Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and
“The Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company Plc, Abuja, has the highest amount of N1,009,286,718.93 while the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, has the least amount of N617,427.66.”
