Publication Archives: Newsletter

By: Emmanuel Adefeso Esq.

The Tax Appeal Tribunal (TAT) has launched an e-filing and case management system to improve justice delivery in the Tax sector. The application launched will manage the entire case process, from the point of filling to the point when the case is decided with the integration of a digital platform for the payment of necessary fees.

At the launch of the e-filing and case management system, the coordinating secretary of the Tax Appeal Tribunal, Oniyangi Hajara Esq, said that the adoption of the electronic filing system was a calculated effort to improve access to the tribunal and to mitigate any obstacles associated with justice delivery that the essence of the tribunal as the first point of call on tax disputes do not warrant any delay. She stated that “The main reason of adopting e-filing for the tribunal is for people to be able to have access to the tribunal within the comfort of their homes or their offices not necessarily having to travel many kilometers to file tax matter. The software deployed captures every litigation process with enough flexibility from start to finish. We are proud for taking the lead among others and we advise other tribunal and superior courts to adopt this technology for the sake of the administration of justice.”

The event was witnessed by the Tribunal Secretary, Management and judicial staff; and questions were asked from the IT consultant, 4tune Technologies team lead, Fatai Abiodun who explained the workings and the flexibility of the software in the clearest terms. Litigants can now file their matter/process via the secured online platform.

This innovation is coming as a part of the reforms of the tax system in Nigeria. Tax Appeal Tribunal (TAT) was set up by the Federal Government to adjudicate on all tax disputes arising from operations of the various Tax Laws as spelt out in the Fifth Schedule to the FIRS (Establishment) Act 2007. Pursuant to the Tax Appeal Tribunals Establishment Order 2009, TAT was established in eight cities to cover the six geo-political zones namely: Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, Benin, Enugu, Kaduna, Jos, and Bauchi, and a Coordinating Secretariat located in Abuja.

Indeed, tax law and administration is the central part of modern public finance and the importance of taxation arises from the fact that it is by far the most significant source of government revenue. Therefore, the importance of an effective tax law and adjudication mechanism cannot be over-emphasized. It is a remarkable feat that the institution charged with tax disputes and adjudication has leveraged on technology to build public trust and confidence in Nigeria Tax system. This shows that the TAT cannot be insulated from the digital revolution that is gradually being implemented in the Nigeria Judiciary.

Disclaimer: This news update is intended only to provide general information and does not by itself constitute or serve as legal advice. For further information, we are available to provide detailed legal advice. For more information contact us on info@asalawpractice.org or call 0908 482 0000, 0806 749 8777

By: Ronaldson Diete-Spiff, Esq.

The 12^th August, 2021 did witness the birth of the Wasimi Rail Hub at Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, haven been the first of its kind in Nigeria. This initiative came shortly after the revival of the rail services by the Federal Government of Nigeria and it is to be used for import and export by shippers. In a statement made by Mr. Christian Holm, Managing Director of Hull Blyth of the Nigerian Shipping and Cargo Logistics Services Provider where he asserted that this initiative will cut down on the cost and time of movement of containers to and from the port by road.

The Wasimi Rail Hub is a forerunner to the Dry Port which is still undergoing construction and has a capacity of 7,000 TEUs upon completion and will be linked to the Apapa port. This drive will be beneficial to importers and exporters as they would be able to save 50% cost. Having begun operation already, the APM Terminals at Apapa Port was a bee hive of activity as the first train had made its delivery only few hours from Wasimi. This project tends to be of benefit to the host community as well as the Nigerian economy as it would also allow importers and their agents save cost and time on monies spent in transporting their containers to and from the port and on demurrage, as there won’t be charges made as a result of the agreement between the shipping lines.

This is a laudable initiative and poised towards achieving an effective transportation system by reducing accrued cost and time, thereby decongesting Apapa port and serving as an instrument of economic development of the state and nation at large

Disclaimer: This news update is intended only to provide general information and does not by itself constitute or serve as legal advice. For further information, we are available to provide detailed legal advice. For more information contact us on info@asalawpractice.org or call 0908 482 0000, 0806 749 8777

By: Emmanuel Adefeso Esq.

The Lagos State Judiciary has released a circular directed to all the High Court Assistant Chief Registrars, Assistant Chief Registrars, Admin of Magistrate Courts, High Court Registrars, and Magistrate Court Registrars on matters relating to Handling and Submission of Court Processes. 

By: Emmanuel Adefeso Esq.

The World Bank has stated that Nigeria is among a list of top 10 countries with high debt risk exposure. The World Bank FY21 audited financial statements recently released, contained 10 countries with the highest exposures which accounted for 66 per cent of IDA’s total exposure.

T.A.M Damiari Esq*

ABSTRACT

The plight of Persons living with Disabilities and HIV/AIDS as vulnerable groups in the world of work remains a recurring event  despite legislative and judicial interventions. This work briefly examined anti-discrimination instruments and judicial interventions against the backdrop of contemporary issues regarding the rights of Persons living with Disabilities and HIV/AIDS at the workplace.