The Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST), in 2019 generated the sum of N45.8billion.
The Postmaster-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer NIPOST, Mr. Bisi Adegbuyi, disclosed this while addressing a Forum of Information Technology Reporters at the Headquarters of NIPOST in Abuja, Nigeria.
He said, there is no conflict between NIPOST and the Federal Inland Revenue Service as well as the States’ Board of Internal Revenue over the remittances of stamp duties.
“A circular was issued from the office of Accountant General of the Federation to both FIRS and NIPOST, stating that FIRS should collect access duties on contract agreement while NIPOST is to collect physical and electronic charges (N50) on items that are not accessed such as receipts, employment letters, Birth Certificates, and others. There is actually no conflict as far as NIPOST is concerned between it and FIRS on the matter of stamp duty collection.
“What we have generated as at Friday, December 13, 2019, is N45.8billion. The account was created in the name of NIPOST to collect the N50 stamp duty charges which is different from what FIRS is collecting,” he said.
Flanked by the General Manager Counter Services, Mrs. Toyin Egbesola, the General Manager ICT, Dr. Thomas Ali Gaga and the Director Finance and Investment, Malam Usman Shabba said, NIPOST is currently undergoing a digital transformation that would change the narratives of postal services in the country.
Adegbuyi noted that NIPOST has deployed ICT solutions/platforms to attain about 70 percent automation of all its systems and operations across the country and by 2020 the systems would be fully automated.
According to him, NIPOST, as the largest government-owned institution in the country with its operations dating back to 1934, is currently leveraging on digital technology to address the socio-economic problems confronting the nation.
“ What we are doing currently is to change the narratives of the postal service system in Nigeria by leveraging on technological platforms to drive financial inclusion, create job opportunities, promote Small and Medium Scale Businesses, create access to credit and mortgage systems and assist the government to address the current security challenges.
“We are currently partnering with JAMB, NIMC and other institutions and agencies of government to make our operations robust particularly in the financial services sector, e-governance, remittances, parcel and postal services. The CBN has also granted NIPOST the license for money transfer because of our large presence in all the local government councils in the country.
“We are aggregating all the e-government centres, Road Safety, Immigration Service,etc. to ensure that the common man will benefit from them through the Postal Service System. You can imagine if pension are paid to our retirees in the villages through the Postal Service system, the stress associated with pension payment would be avoided and lots of lives would be saved as well from the risks associated with travelling,“he said.
Mr. Adegbuyi explained that , NIPOST management is currently embarking on infrastructure development, deployment of digital solutions/platforms, training and retraining of its workers among others to change the narratives of postal service in Nigeria, adding that partiall commercialization would place the future of NIPOST in a position to generate huge revenue for the government.
On whether or not the banks are fully remitting the N50 stamp duty charges, he said, efforts would be intensified to audit the banks in that regard.
Source: VON
