The Federal Government on Wednesday dismissed reports suggesting it had adopted or was considering the introduction of new taxes on telecommunications services and petroleum products following recommendations contained in the latest IMF Article IV Consultation Report on Nigeria.
The government said the reports misrepresented the contents of the IMF report and did not reflect its policy direction, insisting that no new taxes were being planned for either the telecoms or petroleum sectors.
In a statement signed by the Head of Information and Public Relations Unit of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Efe Ovuakporie, the government stressed that recommendations contained in the IMF report were not binding on Nigeria and should not be interpreted as official government policy.
“The government has dismissed reports suggesting that it has adopted or is considering new taxes on telecommunications services and petroleum products following the publication of the International Monetary Fund Article IV Consultation Report on Nigeria,” the statement said.
The clarification comes days after the IMF, in its Article IV report on Nigeria, recommended a range of revenue enhancing measures as part of efforts to strengthen government revenue and improve fiscal sustainability.