The Federal Government on Tuesday said the introduction of its Electronic Revenue Collection platform is aimed at checking revenue theft, diversion of collected revenue and all sorts of corrupt practices associated with revenue collection.

The Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Jonah Otunla, stated this in Abuja during a sensitisation workshop for federal government parastatals, departments and agencies of government.

The House of Representatives had, in an investigative report on unremitted revenue last year, said 60 revenue generating agencies of the Federal Government failed to remit over N9.4tn to the coffers of the government between 2009 and 2012. 

The Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Abulmumin Jibrin, had said, of the N3.06trn the agencies generated in 2009, only N46.8bn, representing 1.53 per cent was remitted to the government.

In 2010, the sum of N3.07trn was generated, but N54.1bn or 1.76 per cent was remitted; and in 2011, the generated figure stood at N3.17trn, out of which N73.8bn or 2.33 per cent was remitted.

Otunla told the agencies that the implementation of the e-collection project, which began on January 1 this year, is meant to enthrone a new regime of centralised, transparent and accountable Internal Generated Revenue management system.

He said, “We are witnesses to how monies collected on behalf of government are either unremitted or not remitted in full.

“The introduction of e-collection will enthrone a new regime of accountability and transparency in government collection process.”

He said under the new initiative, the federal government would move all the revenue accounts of ministries, departments and agencies of government to the Central Bank of Nigeria.