Pat Stevens/
The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has insisted that it is the only federal agency with the contitutional mandate to collect stamp duty, both physical and electronic, in the country.
The agency made the assertion in a series of tweets via its official Twitter handle, @NipostNgn, today.
The agency also used the occasion to thank the public for their concern over the ongoing feceoff between it and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) over the collection of stamp duty.
“We would like to appreciate the entire public for their concern over the lingering issues between us and our sister Agency, FIRS,” it tweeted.
The agency further noted, “For the purpose of clarity, NIPOST initiated the amendments of Stamp Duty in The Nigerian Postal Service Act CAP N127LFN 2004. The first public hearing which held in July 2017 was In June 2018 sent for consideration and assent by the Senate to the presidency.
“The office of the Accountant General Of The Federation via it’s circular, reference TRY/A4 and B4/2006 of 20/07/06 . Recognize the collection of Stamp Duty by NIPOST.
“Also the circular reference TRY/A12 and B12/2015 of 29/12/15 from the same office further strengthen the power of NIPOST to collect the revenue and extended it to both physical (postage stamp) and electronic (Stamp Duty) transactions in all sectors of the Nigeria economy.”
NewsmakersNG had earlier reported allegations by the chair of the board of NIPOST, Maimuna Abubakar, that FIRS stole the mandate of her agency by surreptitiously inserting a clause to that effect in the Finance Bill.
She also raised the alarm that the move by FIRS, if not reversed, would result in NIPOST’s ultimate demise.
But in follow-up tweets today, Abubakar maintained that the Finance Act 2019 did not in any way invalidate Section 5(d), Section 34(1) and (2) of the NIPOST Act 2004, from which her agency derives its powers.
She tweeted, “Under the extant laws of Nigeria to wit the NIPOST Act, the Stamp Duties Act and the Finance Act, the adhesive postage stamp is not only used for postage it is the only stamp with which denoting of ALL receipts documents and registrable instruments is to be done in Nigeria.
“The Tax Certificate or a Tax Clearance Certificate and any other formalized document issued by the FIRS whether in the form of a paper copy or an electronic copy which is printed out remains a document liable to be denoted with an adhesive postage stamp minted by NIPOST.
“The Finance Act 2019 did not delete nor repeal neither did it amend Section 5(d) nor Section 34(1) and (2) of the NIPOST Act 2004.
“Section 34(2) of the NIPOST Act 2004 provides and vests in the Postmaster General of NIPOST the power to appoint or engage agents as business partners to sell by retailing the adhesive postage stamps minted by NIPOST.”
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