Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is to spend a total sum of N586 million on refreshment and meals and N750 million for fuelling of generators in the 2016 fiscal year. 

These details were gleaned from FIRS’ N143.722 billion budget approved by the House of Representatives last week.

Among the miscellaneous expenses proposed by the revenue agency, hiring of hall, accommodation and events is to gulp N350 million, honorarium and sitting allowance payments, N150 million; publicity, adverts and taxpayers’ education, N2 billion; medical expenditure, N700 million; postage and courier services, N244 million; welfare packages, N681 million; corporate outfit grant, N2.5 billion; subscription to professional bodies, N168 million and sporting activities, N200 million.

Similarly, apart from the N750 million earmarked for fuelling of generators, FIRS is to spend N400 million on the maintenance of vehicles, N50 million on maintenance of office equipment and furniture, N300 million on maintenance of building (office), N266 on maintenance of office equipment, N95 million on maintenance of computers and IT equipment, N170 million on maintenance of plants/ generators and N120 million on other maintenance services.

N200 million is to be spent on purchase of generators for offices; N100 million for power electricity distribution and N75 million is for erection of street light/access roads.

FIRS is to expend N400 million on electricity charges, N300 million on telephone charges, N300 million on Internet access charges, N400 million on satellite broadcasting access charges/revenue collection system support, N25 million on water rates and N25 million on sewerage charges.

Cleaning and fumigation is to gulp N750 million, N683 million for security services, N885 million for office rent, N250 million as security vote, N1 billion for tax drive and enforcement programmes, N400 million for head office tax drive, N2.5 billion for tax audit investigation and monitoring, N500 million for tax investigation, N125 million for projects/process supervision, N250 million for automation of finance and accounts department, while external grants and counterpart funding is to take N60 million.

Other expenses earmarked for the 2016 fiscal year include N600 million for special purpose services, N50 million for change management support, N15 million for enterprise support centre, N100 million for other automation projects, N250 million for board expenses, N250 million for ITAS project, N250 million is for retreats and other operational meetings. On local travels and transportation, FIRS will spend N3.5 billion, while international travels will cost N300 million.

New Telegraph