The Federal Inland Revenue Service has addressed claims regarding the appointment of collection agents under the Treasury Single Account system, emphasizing that no monopoly has been granted to any private entity.
The clarification comes in response to a recent statement by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who alleged that Xpress Payments had been appointed as one of the channels for TSA revenue collection.
In a statement signed by the Technical Assistant to the Executive Chairman of FIRS, Arabinrin Atoyebi, the Service described Atiku’s claims as “incorrect, misleading, and risk unnecessarily politicising a purely administrative and technical process.”
The statement further clarified, “For clarity, the FIRS does not operate any exclusive or single-gateway revenue-collection arrangement, and no private entity has been granted a monopoly over government revenues.
“The FIRS currently utilises a multi-channel, multi-Payment Solution Service Provider (PSSP) collection framework, which includes several long-established platforms. These include: Quickteller, Remita, Etranzact, Flutterwave and XpressPay.
“These PSSPs are part of an expanded, transparent, and competitive ecosystem designed to make tax payment easier and more efficient for Nigerians across the country.
“Also, PSSPs are not collection agents and do not earn a processing fee per payment, nor a percentage of revenues.
“Crucially, all revenues collected through these channels go directly into the Federation Account, without diversion, intermediaries, or private control. No PSSP has access to, or custody of, government funds.”
FIRS highlighted the main benefits of the TSA Collection Framework, which include opening up the Scheme to multiple PSSPs, improving efficiency, creating jobs and expanding markets, and ensuring a transparent on-boarding process.
