Taraba judiciary, revenue service strengthen partnership on tax enforcement

The Taraba State Judiciary (TSJ) has reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with the Taraba State Internal Revenue Service (TIRS) to enhance revenue generation and strengthen tax administration in the state.

The Chief Judge of Taraba State, Justice Joel F. Agya, made this known on Thursday while receiving the Executive Chairman of TIRS, Brigadier General Jeremiah Aliyu Faransa (retd), and members of his management team during a familiarisation and collaborative visit to the State High Court Complex in Jalingo.

Justice Agya commended the revenue service for its ongoing reforms, describing them as instrumental to the significant improvement in the state’s internally generated revenue.

He also lauded the adoption of technology in revenue administration, noting that the Judiciary’s electronic filing (e-filing) system had enhanced transparency and accountability in the remittance of court-generated revenue into the state treasury.

According to him, the courts remitted about N198 million into the state’s coffers in 2026, despite the Judiciary not being established as a revenue-generating institution.

The Chief Judge further directed the deployment of judges to preside over mobile courts to facilitate tax enforcement and ensure compliance with the state’s tax laws.

“The Judiciary and the Internal Revenue Service occupy distinct but complementary positions in the machinery of government. While the Judiciary is entrusted with the administration of justice and the protection of the rule of law, the Internal Revenue Service plays a vital role in mobilising the resources required for government to provide essential services and infrastructure for our people.

“Effective revenue administration, conducted within the bounds of the law, contributes significantly to good governance and sustainable development.

“I am particularly encouraged by your desire to strengthen collaboration with the Judiciary and to discuss measures aimed at ensuring that officers of the Service carry out their statutory responsibilities within the framework of the law and with the protection they require.

I have no doubt that today’s engagement will deepen mutual understanding and foster a stronger institutional relationship,” Agya said.

Earlier, Faransa commended the Judiciary under Justice Agya’s leadership for its support in promoting improved revenue generation and enforcing tax compliance in the state.

He appealed to the Chief Judge to provide additional judicial manpower to support the service in enforcing tax laws within and outside the state.

The TIRS chairman disclosed that the service had blocked all multiple revenue collection accounts previously operated by government agencies, adding that the state had fully implemented the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to improve transparency and accountability.

Faransa also revealed that the service was finalising modalities for the commencement of payment of collection costs to revenue-remitting agencies across the state.

He assured that TIRS would continue to introduce reforms aimed at improving the state’s internally generated revenue, stressing that effective collaboration between the Judiciary and the revenue service remained essential to achieving the agency’s mandate.