Tax probe: RMAFC, workers disagree over consultants’ engagement

Workers of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal
Commission have disagreed with the management of the organisation
over the use of consultants to probe banks for failure to remit all
they collect on behalf of the government agencies in charge of
taxes and levies.

The workers had staged protests for two days last week where
they drew the attention of the management and members of the public
to the plight of the workers whom they alleged were being rendered
redundant through the use of consultants in what should have been
their sphere of influence.

Following the two-day protests, the management of RMAFC opened a
consultation with the Association of Senior Civil Servants of
Nigeria, RMAFC Chapter.

Chapter President of the association, Mr Martin Adeoye, in an
interview with our correspondent, said that the talk would continue
as it had not yet produced the required results.

Adeoye said that the association was not completely against the
use of consultants by the management of RMAFC to do its work but
added that a situation where the workers were completely neglected
was not acceptable.

He said, “If they attach two or three members of staff to a
consulting firm, we would not be angry. It is by embedding members
of staff among the consultants that the capacity of the workers is
built. If they completely neglect us, why are we here?”

Adeoye said that the organisation had almost 1,000 workers
scattered in different parts of the country, adding that if they
were adequately trained and deployed, consultants would not always
be needed for the verification exercises that were carried on by
the agency from time to time.

He disclosed that the association would continue the talks with
the board of RMAFC which he said would soon be inaugurated
following the screening of the members by the National
Assembly.

The various probes instituted by RMAFC into tax remittances by
banks, withholding taxes and Value Added Tax, had to the recovery
of N268bn into the federation account.

According to the agency, the recent verification and
reconciliation of collections by banks had led to the recovery of
over N73bn recently.

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