The World Bank has advised Governors to adopt a digital tax collection method to reduce revenue leakage and borrowing from international financial institutions.

The country representative of the World Bank in Nigeria Mr Rachid Benmassaud gave the advice at the Nigeria Governors Forum tax event in Abuja.

Represented by the Senior public sector specialists of the Bank in Nigeria Mr Rajul Awasthi said the outbreak of covid19 has led to a significant reduction in revenues generations and advised Nigeria to adopt a technology that would improve IGR.

The Director-General of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Mr Ashishana Okauru said a weak environment and low technological integration in tax administration were some of the factors militating against efforts to mobilise domestic revenues in the country.

He said the lockdown from the Covid 19 showed that taxes at the state level reduced by an average of 40 per cent, saying revenue administrations need to move to a digital future.

The Forum has taken steps to bring together technology and service providers as well as researchers in the tax space into one network to take advantage of the innovation that is taking place.

The Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Mohammad Nami Represented by the coordinating Director of the Service, Mr Hamman Abubakar emphasised the need to improve revenue of states to augment the shortfall of allocations from the Federation Account.

He buttressed that taxation all over the world has always been the most reliable and sustainable source of government revenue if well harnessed and effectively administered

The Deputy Director for Policy and Advocacy, Bill and Gates Foundation Mr Tijani Mohammed pledged the support of the Foundation to initiate programmes that would make government officials to be more accountable.

FRCN