Diaspora Nigerians have remitted over $35 billion back home this year alone, according to the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Matters, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

Dabiri-Erewa, who disclosed this when she visited the Federal Inland Revenue Services, FIRS, in Abuja, yesterday, said: “In 2016, they remitted $35 billion, which is higher than what was remitted in 2015. This the highest in Africa and the third largest in the world remittance by Nigerians living abroad.”

She urged the service to pay particular attention to concerns of Nigerians in the Diaspora who had complained about multiple taxes on their remittances.

”There is a lot of talk about your organization from Nigerians in the Diaspora concerning taxes as to whether there will be tax incentives for Nigerians coming back home to engage in agriculture and other businesses. What are the plans and projects for them? Recently, they expressed concern over reports that we need to pay tax on our passports.”

The SSA called for a closer collaboration between her office and the FIRS towards allaying the fears of Nigerians abroad, who she said, played a great role in boosting the nation’s economy through the remittances.

In his response, Executive Chairman of the FIRS, Mr Babatunde Fowler, said: “What we are saying is if you want any immigration services, either you want to renew your passport or get a new one, so long as you’re an adult and you’re making an income you just have to show evidence of tax payment.

‘’There is no direct tax on passports, it’s just to show evidence of paying tax and, of course, you’re entitled to all the services of government.”

He added that Diaspora Nigerians “have 99.9% tax compliance just because there are consequences for not paying taxes in their countries of domicile.

‘’If they decide to come as investors, we do have incentives for pioneer status or waivers and once they make their applications to the Federal Ministry of Finance, it would be looked into and if it is in an area of pioneer status, I’m sure it would be granted and we also do not believe in double taxation.”

Vanguard