Finance ministry unveils platform to monitor tax exemptions

The Federal Ministry of Finance has launched the Incentive Monitoring and Evaluation Platform, a state-of-the-art electronic system designed to enhance the oversight of tax expenditures associated with import duty exemption certificates.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, announced the launch in a statement on Monday.

According to the minister, the IMEP is part of a broader strategy to reduce tax expenditures and ensure that fiscal policies are effectively contributing to the country’s economic growth.

He noted that the IMEP aimed to revolutionise the way the Federal Ministry of Finance measures the impact of customs duty exemptions granted to government entities, companies, Non-Governmental Organisations, and international organisations.

Edun stated that by implementing a robust automated tool, the ministry aimed to improve the monitoring and evaluation of those exemptions.

He explained that the IMEP has several notable features, including a duty claw-back mechanism, electronic report generation, a centralised database for tracking, factory geo-location tagging, industry qualification status validation, integration with multiple government agencies, and the issuance of demand notices to defaulters.

“One of the critical objectives of the IMEP is to provide a framework that will prevent ineligible applicants from receiving tax benefits, enforce compliance with fiscal policy measures, and offer a comprehensive analysis of the economic impact of tax incentives.

“By doing so, the ministry hopes to curb the misuse of tax expenditures, support the realisation of economic outcomes from fiscal incentives, and enhance the direct measurement of tax incentives’ effects on the economy,” he noted.

According to Edun, the system is designed to provide a framework to checkmate and restrict ineligible applicants, enforce strict compliance with fiscal policy measures, and provide a robust impact analysis of tax incentives on the economy.

“Overall, the introduction of the IMEP represents a significant step towards reducing the cost of tax expenditure and ensuring that tax incentives have a positive impact on the Nigerian economy. This initiative is part of the government’s commitment to fostering transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the management of the nation’s resources,” he explained.