Ali Isa Pantami, the minister of communications and digital
economy, says the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) is the legal producer of
stamp duties through the 2020 Finance Act.
This means that NIPOST will take over the collection of
stamp duties from the Federal Inland Service (FIRS).
Pantami was speaking on Thursday at the unveiling ceremony
of the Diamond anniversary commemorative postage stamps in Abuja.
According to a statement released by the ministry, NIPOST is
empowered to generate revenue.
In his remarks, Pantami said the significance of the stamps
is deeply rooted in our national history as an independent nation.
“The stamps bring to life, our founding fathers and the
roles they played birthing our independence from our colonial masters,” the
minister said.
“This set of stamps illustrate the fact that we can achieve
greater success, when we are united, regardless of our diverse ethnocultural
and religious differences. Furthermore, these stamps are to be used in
authenticating and validating our official documents.”
Pantami further noted that in spite of the enormous
challenges bedevilling the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), the federal
government is committed to repositioning the organisation to attain its maximum
potential in adding value to the economy.
There has been contention between the FIRS and NIPOST over
which agency is the custodian of stamp duty following the implementation of the
Stamp Duty Act.
NIPOST alleged that the FIRS had stolen its mandate while
the FIRS said it is not violating any law by collecting stamp duty.
Abdullahi Ahmad, FIRS director of communication and liaison,
said there is a difference between stamp duty and postage stamp, adding that,
“FIRS is the sole agency of got charged with the responsibility of assessing, collecting,
and accounting for all tax types including stamp duties”.
NIPOST had insisted that it had the statutory power to
print, mint, produce, retail, and provide adhesive postage stamps.
According to the 2019 finance act, a N50 stamp duty is
payable on any bank deposit or transfer of N10,000 or more, except deposits or
transfers between accounts maintained by the same person in the same bank.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com