The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says the memorandum of understanding (MoU) it signed with France’s Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP) does not give France access to Nigerian taxpayers’ data or systems.
The DGFiP (Directorate General of Public Finances) is an agency of the French government that plays a key role in public finance management, including taxes.
On December 10, the service signed a MoU with the DGFiP on the promotion of efficient tax administration.
In a statement on Sunday, the FIRS responded to commentaries, clarifying misconceptions about the development. It assured that The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), like its predecessor (FIRS), places the highest premium on national security and maintains rigorous standards for the protection of all taxpayers’ information.”
The FIRS said the MoU signed with France’s DGFiP is to leverage France’s over a century of expertise in digital transformation, taxpayer services, governance, and public finance.
“It is advisory, non-intrusive, and entirely under Nigeria’s control. Contrary to misconceptions, the MoU does not displace local technology providers,” the service said.
“FIRS and the emerging Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) continue to work closely with Nigerian innovators such as NIBSS, Interswitch, PayStack, and Flutterwave.
FIRS added that the MoU with France strengthens Nigeria’s sovereignty to build a modern, capable, globally competitive tax administration, one firmly in command of its systems, data, and strategic direction.
