The Minister of Communications Technology, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, on Monday ordered the Acting Post Master General (PMG) of the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), to suspend forthwith the appointment of agents for the collection of N50 stamp duty on behalf of the federal government.
A statement signed by Mr. Adeyanju Binuyo, the Special Assistant to the minister, which was made available to the media in Abuja, said it has come to the information of the ministry that the Acting PMG has commenced the process of setting up a committee on behalf of government to collect stamp duty.
It said: “The Minister hereby serves this warning that NIPOST has not been authorized to appoint new agents in respect of collection of Stamp Duty.
“The Minister recalls that before this dispensation, a few corporate bodies and organizations were claiming to have an agreement with NIPOST in respect of this matter.
“There are presently, in the public domain, many claims and counter-claims.”
It therefore warned NIPOST to thread with caution and ensure that all issues bordering on the administration of the stamp duty are done in line with the Government’s commitment to due process, transparency and accountability.
“The Minister has therefore directed the suspension of any new process in this regard until a new Post-Master General is appointed by the Federal Government in due course,” he statement added.
Government, according to the statement, has projected an accrual in excess of N2.5 trillion from payment of stamp duties from the financial services industry as outlined by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
