Tax Ombud targets nationwide reach through NIPOST partnership

Tax Ombud/Chief Executive, Dr John Nwabueze. Photo credit: Techeconomy

The Office of the Tax Ombud is exploring a partnership with the Nigerian Postal Service to extend its services to all local government areas and improve taxpayers’ access to independent dispute resolution.

The Tax Ombud and Chief Executive of the Office of the Tax Ombud, Dr John Nwabueze, disclosed this at the opening of a three-day management retreat in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, where he reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to staff training and capacity building.

According to a statement, Nwabueze said the office was intensifying efforts to raise public awareness of its mandate and services, stressing that public confidence remained essential to building an efficient, sustainable revenue administration system.

He said, “The Office is committed to ensuring that taxpayers have access to an independent and impartial platform where their complaints can be addressed without unnecessary delays or financial burden.”

He explained that the office was established in line with President Bola Tinubu’s vision to strengthen tax administration through effective mediation and the prompt, amicable resolution of disputes between taxpayers and revenue authorities.

According to him, the management retreat, themed “Leading with Purpose: Strengthening Leadership and Delivering Sustainable Excellence,” would enable the organisation’s leadership to review its mandate, clarify its strategic direction and strengthen alignment towards achieving its objectives.

Nwabueze urged staff members to make discipline, diligence and courtesy the foundation of their professional conduct, adding that the office’s performance should go beyond the number of complaints it resolves.

“The ultimate measure of our success is not simply the number of cases we resolve, but the confidence we build, the trust we restore and the positive difference we make in the relationship between taxpayers and revenue authorities,” he said.

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In his remarks, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, represented by the Commissioner for Finance, Emem Bob, commended the Federal Government’s tax reforms, saying they were designed to improve revenue generation and address longstanding challenges in tax administration.

Eno thanked the office for choosing Akwa Ibom as the venue for the retreat, noting that his administration was implementing policies to promote enterprise, improve the business environment and reduce the burden of doing business in the state.

He identified the introduction of the Treasury Single Account and a consolidated tax collection system as measures his administration was pursuing to strengthen public financial management and revenue administration.

The governor also urged the Tax Ombud to establish a presence in the state, pledging his administration’s support to ensure residents could access its services.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service, Okon Okon, described the Tax Ombud as an important institution for promoting fairness, trust and harmony in the country’s tax administration system.

He particularly commended the office for providing its services free of charge, describing the arrangement as a significant relief to taxpayers and revenue authorities seeking an impartial platform to resolve tax-related complaints.