By Ogaga Ariemu
The federal government through Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), has today unveiled N50 revenue stamp charges to boost Nigeria’s Digital Economy.
This was made known on Tuesday by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami and the Post Master General NIPOST, Dr Ismail Adewusi in their remarks during an unveiling ceremony held in Abuja Nigeria.
Dr. Pantami said the N50 stamp revenue is among the stamp revenues that are expected in the country, adding that revenue generated from the Stamps will be channelled across sectors of the economy.
He said the stamp revenue will be used to authenticate various documents and lawful transactions between institutions.
Similarly in his remarks, Mr Adewusi said that the charge of N50 will be reviewed considering the economic situation to ensure the sustainability of services provided.
“Nigeria also issued Passage Service Charge Stamps in 1980 and a Stamp Duty Stamp in 2006. In tandem with the laws of the land, NIPOST today, sets out to unveil a set of adhesive Revenue Stamp that are of economic value.
“The Revenue Stamps, which come in a single denomination of N50, will be made available in our post offices nationwide,” Adewusi disclosed.
On her part, NIPOST’s board Chairman, Barr. Maimuna Abubakar re-emphasised that NIPOST is the exclusive stamps producer, custodian in Nigeria.
According to her, “Recall that I had warned before that under our watch we won’t allow NIPOST to be exploited. We are all living witnesses to an attempted hostile takeover of our core statutory mandate which is the issuance of stamps. I dare say that it was not just a conspiracy but a massive gaslighting campaign that tested our collective resolve.
“We are thankful that the dust has finally settled with the signing into Law of the Amended Finance Act, 2020 by President Buhari. NIPOST is back to its legal position of administration of Stamps: as the exclusive producer and custodian of stamps in Nigeria,” she said.
The Chairman House Representative Committee on Communications, Hon Akeem Adeyemi, Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Management of Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC), Barr Adeleke Adewolu representing the EVC of NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta and other CEOs, Director-General of agencies under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and others lauded NIPOST’s achievements.
Recall that there has been a face-off over the collection of Stamp Duty between the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and NIPOST.
The FIRS said it was charged with the responsibility of assessing, collecting, and accounting for all tax types including Stamp Duties.
But the Section 2 of the Finance Act amended 2020 says “by substituting for the definition of stamp,” a new definition—‘stamp’ means an impressed pattern or mark by means of an engraved or inked die, an adhesive stamp, an electronic stamp or an electronic acknowledgement for denoting any duty or fee, provided that the Service shall utilise adhesive stamp produced by the Nigerian Postal Service pursuant to its enabling Act.”
March 11, 2021, Nigerian NewsDirect reported that Pantami said NIPOST is the legal producer of stamp duties through the 2020 Finance Act, which means the agency is in charge of stamp duty collection.
However, the Executive Chairman of FIRS, Mohammed Nami, countered it saying Mr Pantami was quoted out of context by the media.
Stamps have been used in Nigeria since 1874, when Nigeria pioneered the production of Stamps with the issuance of what was then known as the Stamps of Lagos
Although the use of stamps is not limited to payment of postal services alone. Stamps also serve as objects of communication and as a dependable recorder of events for posterity.