Mohammed Shosanya

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has announced a total tax revenue collection of N5.5 trillion for the half-year period of January to June 2023. This is the highest tax revenue collection ever recorded by the Service in any first six months of a fiscal year.

Mr. Muhammad Nami, Executive Chairman of the FIRS, disclosed this while presenting the 2023-2024 tax revenue outlook to the National Economic Council at its meeting held on Thursday 20th July 2023, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

In a statement, Johannes Oluwatobi Wojuola
Special Assistant to the Executive Chairman, FIRS, (Media & Communication), said that the presentation, which contained FIRS’ 2023 Half-Year Collection Report, showed that the FIRS achieved over one hundred percent of its target for the first-half of the year when compared with a mid-year target of N5.3 trillion.

Tax revenue collected from the oil sector from January to June 2023, stood at N2.03 trillion, as against a target of N2.3 trillion; while non-oil tax collection stood at N3.76 trillion, as against a target of N2.98 trillion.

In his presentation,Me.Nami further stated that the Service collected a total of N1.65 trillion tax revenues in June 2023. This sum is the highest tax revenue collected by the Service in any single month.

Mr. Muhammad Nami attributed the excellent performance to improved voluntary tax compliance enabled by the automation of FIRS’ tax administrative processes.

“This is a good head start as we work towards meeting our target for the year. And it was achieved despite stubborn headwinds such as the impact of the currency redesign and 2023 General Elections on the economy in the first and second quarters of 2023”, said Mr Nami.

“This half-year performance was achieved as a result of improved voluntary tax compliance by taxpayers, the continued improvement of automation of our tax administration processes, including the updated VAT filing processes; as well as our dogged engagement with stakeholders in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy.”,he added.

Speaking on the outlook for the remainder half of the year, the FIRS Executive Chairman gave assurances that the country should expect “better days ahead” in terms of tax revenue collection.

“We believe that the performance in the second half of the year would be better considering the continuing improvement to our tax administration processes and positive impact of current government’s policies on the economy,” said the Executive Chairman.

Mohammed Shosanya

The Oyo state government has shut five private health facilities in Ibadan, as part of measures to protecte the health and well-being of residents.

The Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Rotimi Babalola, disclosed this in a statement obtained by Premium News on Thursday.

According to the statement,the healthcare facilities were sealed for non-compliance with regulatory standards.

They were also found guilty of employing unqualified and unlicensed doctors, commonly referred to as quack doctors.

Speaking during an inspection recently at Olodo and Moniya axis of Ibadan, the Director for Secondary health care and training, Dr. Wale Falana stated that the action became necessary after an extensive monitoring and evaluation of hospital facilities was carried out within the state.

“The inspection revealed alarming evidence of malpractice, misdiagnoses and inappropriate treatments being administered to unsuspected patients” he said.

According to him,the five health care facilities sealed were found to be lacking in terms of equipment, personnel, and compliance with standard medical regulations.’

‘Also, some hospitals were staffed with unqualified personnel who were practicing medicine without the required qualifications and license.’

Dr.Falana expressed deep concern and warned hospitals not to compromise on the quality of healthcare offered to patients, stressing that the facilities will remain closed until they meet the requirements and standards set by the regulatory bodies.

“This administration underscores its commitment to ensuring that health care services in the Oyo State adhere to the highest standards of quality and professionalism”

“The government of the day, distinguished health as one of the cardinal programmes, consequently, His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde takes the health of the people as essential, which is the reason behind the Omititun free health mission held quarterly throughout the state.”

“We will not tolerate any compromise in medical standards that could put lives at risk. Our action in closing these hospitals demonstrates our commitment to maintaining quality healthcare delivery within our state.”

He said that the state government has urged citizens to be more cautious when seeking medical attention and reminded them to verify the qualifications and licenses of healthcare providers they visit for treatment, encouraging citizens to report any suspected cases of quack doctors or substandard medical practices to the Ministry of Health.

He added:“This will enable the government to take swift action and ensure that the healthcare system in Oyo State remains trustworthy, reliable, and patient-centric”.