WorldStage— The Office of the Tax Ombud and the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) have agreed to deepen inter-agency collaboration aimed at strengthening investor confidence and attracting more foreign direct investment (FDI) into Nigeria’s oil and gas free zones.
The collaboration is expected to improve the resolution of tax and fee related grievances through effective mediation, while promoting a fair, transparent and predictable tax administration environment for investors.
The Tax Ombud/Chief Executive, Dr. John C. Nwabueze, disclosed this on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to OGFZA, where he said closer collaboration between both agencies would help address issues capable of discouraging investment in the free zones.
Nwabueze said the partnership would complement OGFZA’s regulatory functions and contribute to efforts to improve Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio through increased voluntary compliance.
“I am very much aware that OGFZA regulates and coordinates activities in the zones, grants permits and licences, administers incentives, and resolves disputes among stakeholders.
“The Office of the Tax Ombud complements these functions by providing an independent channel for reviewing and resolving complaints relating to taxes, levies, regulatory fees, customs duties and excise matters,” he said.
According to him, areas of collaboration would include taxpayer complaint resolution, clarification of tax incentives, review of systemic complaints, and promotion of transparency and accountability.
He said effective resolution of tax-related complaints would help create a more investor-friendly environment, encourage voluntary tax compliance and support an increase in the country’s tax-to-GDP ratio.
Nwabueze added that the initiative was consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly efforts to create a more conducive business environment and strengthen domestic revenue mobilisation.
Responding, the Chief Executive Officer of OGFZA, Alhaji Usman Jada, said investors operating in Nigeria’s oil and gas free zones had benefited from government incentives, tax exemptions and customs duty concessions introduced to encourage sustainable FDI inflows.
Jada said the incentives were also designed to promote private-sector investment in infrastructure and create employment opportunities.
He described the proposed collaboration with the Office of the Tax Ombud as timely, noting that it would help strengthen investor confidence and stimulate business activities within the oil and gas free zones and other special economic zones being promoted by OGFZA.
The OGFZA chief executive said improved coordination between the two agencies would support the Authority’s mandate and help address concerns that could affect investors’ operations.
To translate the agreement into concrete action, both agencies have appointed liaison officers to coordinate the collaboration and facilitate the implementation of agreed initiatives.
The partnership is expected to provide a structured platform for addressing investor grievances while strengthening transparency and accountability within Nigeria’s oil and gas free zones.
