Indication emerged weekend that the federal government kicked out the former Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service Mr. Babatunde Fowler after non oil revenue performance dropped consistently from targeted revenue from 2015 to 2019. The falling revenue profile in the FIRS was despite the rise in service workforce, the engagement of consultants, the rise inflation and exchange rates. According to non oil revenue generated by the service in 2015, the revenue failed to meet set target by N830 billion. In 2016, it also failed to realise its target by N1.603 trillion. In 2017 the short fall was N843 billion while that of 2018 was N1.427 trillion and in 2019 the FIRS could not meet its set target by N3.794 trillion.
The revenue profile of the FIRS sighted by Businessnewsreport sowed that in 2011, a target of N3.639 trillion was set for the service and it realised N4.629 trillion about N990 billion above the set target which is 127 per cent with a staff compliment of 6,445. In 2012, the Service was given a target of N3.635 trillion but it realised a total of N5.007 trillion about N1.372 trillion above target, a 1.37 per cent performance with a staff strength of 8,265. In 2013 according to the revenue generated profile of FIRS, the target was raised to N4.469 trillion and the service realised N4.806 trillion a surplus of N337 billion and a staff of 7085. In 2014, the target came down slightly to N4.086 trillion, the Service again out performed by realisingN4.715 trillion about N629 billion above the set target and a reduced staff of 6,624.
However, the situation changed in 2015 when a target of N4.572 trillion was set and the service could only generate N3.742 trillion and for the first time in five years failed to achieve its target by N830 billion while at the same time the staff strength rose 7182. In 2016, a target of N4.907 trillion was set but could only realise N3.304 trillion a short fall of N1.603 trillion. In 2017, while a target of N4.890 trillion was given to the service, it could only raise N4.047 trillion, a N843 billion shortfall. In 2018, out of the target of N6.747 trillion set for the FIRS, it generated N5.320 trillion falling short of target by by N1.427 trillion. The worst outing was in 2019 when it set for itself a target of N8.802 trillion but was only able to N5.008 trillion, missing target by N3.794 trillion with increased number of staff of 9,448.
According to insiders the FIRS had its best year in revenue collection in 2012 as officials commenting said “in 2012 especially, you were able to raise five trillion, seven billion Naira even without active participation of consultants, and with moderate inflation and exchange rate. I want to be positive that this impressive performance is achievable again. However, the table below shows the review of performance and workforce of the service from 2011 to 2019. I therefore urge you all to take advantage of the current staff friendly environment now in place to redouble your efforts to reverse the obvious downward trend and to ensure that the current target is not only achieved but also double before the end of 2020. No doubt the task is daunting but with dogged spirit, integrity, probity, and accountability as well as the resolve not to negotiate with tax payers and pocket the revenue due to the federal government, the current challenges can be surmounted and our ambitious target achieved and surpassed”.
