The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) has said its whistle-blower initiative would deepen transparency, and accountability and uphold a high standard in the administration of the tax system in the state.

The LIRS Executive Chairman, Ayodele Subair, who said this at the official launching of the initiative in Lagos on Friday, noted that the platform was introduced to encourage the reporting of illegal actions or financial crimes, through the appropriate channel, with a view to correcting the violations and optimally boost the tax administration in the state.

Subair said the scheme, an initiative of the state government, would be driven by Delloite Anonymous and the Confidential Whistle-Blowing facility, a platform run by a globally recognised accounting and audit firm, Delloite Nigeria.

He added that the whistle-blowing facility would promote the reporting of acts of commission or omission that borders on unethical conduct of the LIRS employees, management, and other stakeholders through the designated channels to the authorities.

“The facility is designed to ensure that concerns about wrongdoings or malpractice observed in the LIRS administrative and operational activities can be raised by any stakeholder without fear of victimisation, subsequent discrimination, disadvantage or dismissal.

“This facility does not only provide the avenue to report but ensures the credibility of reports through investigation, feedback to the whistle-blower and ensures protection for such whistle-blower from possible reprisals or victimisation for all disclosures made in good faith.

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“The whistle-blowing initiative is a two-way affair; even though it is aimed at exposing the LIRS staff involved with misconduct, employees of entities who want to report employers who circumvent tax laws or even members of the public who wants to raise the alarm on persons or entities who willfully commit financial crimes leading to revenue loss for the state can make use of the whistle-blowing platform,” the LIRS chairman said.

Subair further stated that Deloitte’s engagement as an independent assessor was to ensure an objective and unbiased review of issues raised.

Also speaking at the event,  the Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Dr Rabiu Onaolapo Olowo, said the Whistle-Blower Initiative of the LIRS was a pilot scheme of the Lagos State Speak-Up programme aimed at encouraging feedback mechanism from the general public, boosting their confidence and trust in the operational activities of government.

Olowo said it was logical to choose the LIRS as the pilot scheme for the initiative because it is responsible for more than half of the revenue generated by the state and due to its multifaceted interactions with the members of the public, the Lagos State Government could use the channel to boost its message of openness and transparency.

He said: “In our pursuit to make transparency, accountability, and openness count in governance in the last three and half years, this is one step to help us to wrap up some of the things we have been doing to take government down to the people.

“We have to appreciate Governor Babajide Sanwoolu for approving this Speak-Up initiative. It will further help us to effectively discharge the policy thrust of this government and we believe it will promote and engender trust and citizen engagement.

“The reason we have chosen the LIRS as the pilot MDA for this scheme is quite obvious because it is the major revenue-generating agency for the state.

“Today, LIRS accounts for almost 75 per cent of Lagos’s revenue and it engages with the public at multi-faceted levels. Thousands of people across the world see infractions every day but they decided to remain silent because they feel there is nothing they can do to change the situation, but today, we are launching a channel that will encourage and remind people of their civic responsibilities to speak up when they observe unethical behaviour, especially in the process of conducting their businesses with the government.”

The Star