By Oluwakemi Kindness
The Office of the Tax Ombud and the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, OGFZA, are partnering to address tax and fee-related complaints from investors in Nigeria’s oil and gas free zones.
The collaboration is aimed at boosting investor confidence, improving tax compliance and attracting more foreign direct investment, FDI according to a statement by Chukwudi Achife, Chief Press Secretary.
Tax Ombud/Chief Executive, Dr John Nwabueze, said the partnership would provide investors with an independent channel for resolving complaints involving taxes, levies, regulatory fees, customs duties and excise matters.
Nwabueze said the agencies would also work on clarifying tax incentives, reviewing systemic complaints and promoting transparency and accountability.
He said a fair and predictable tax administration would encourage voluntary compliance and contribute to efforts to increase Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio.
Responding, OGFZA Managing Director/CEO, Usman Bamanga-Jada, said investors in the free zones had benefited from government incentives, tax exemptions and customs duty concessions designed to encourage FDI and private-sector investment.
Jada said the collaboration with the Tax Ombud was timely and would further strengthen investor confidence and business activities in the zones
