Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, has revealed operators in the informal sector account for 92.6 percent of the employed population in the country, as of the first quarter of 2023.
He also attributed the drop in Nigeria’s unemployment index to the recognition of informal work by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Adedeji made the disclosures while speaking at the 157th Board Meeting of the Joint Tax Board (JTB), held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday.
According to FIRS boss, President Bola Tinubu has been concerned about the well-being of operators of the informal sector.
Speaking on the theme, “Taxation of the Informal Sector: Potentials and Challenges,” Adedeji said he would rather support the formalisation of the informal sector with the use of data, rather than taxing them.
“President Bola Tinubu has said the focus should be on taxing the fruits and not the seeds so that we don’t kill what people have invested in businesses,” he said.
The FIRS boss, in a statement by his Technical Assistant (Media), Sikiru Akinola, charged participants at the meeting, including the 36 states inland revenue board chairpersons to brainstorm on how to formalise the informal sector with the use of reliable data.
He explained that JTB would soon transition to the Joint Revenue Board (JRB) with expanded scope and responsibilities that would make tax systems easily harmonised and modernised nationwide.
The FIRS chairman, who is also the chairman of the Joint Tax Board, commended the Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, for hosting the meeting.
Speaking shortly after Adedeji, Governor Makinde appealed for support in the effort to widen the country’s tax net.
“We must not only be strategic but also humane in our approach. The goal should not only be to increase revenue but to support and empower those within the informal economy so they can thrive and contribute meaningfully.
“Our administration is committed to balancing fiscal responsibility with inclusive economic growth. Our recent initiatives have improved our revenue generation drive,” Makinde added.
