The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, has said waiver of tax and charges granted by the government to some companies induce corruption in Nigeria.
The minister also said Nigeria’s current economic mess was largely caused by corruption.
Speaking at a national conference on corruption in Abuja at the weekend, Adeosun, who defined corruption as “abuse of entrusted power for private gain”, added that corruption was inimical to national development.
The minister who was represented by Mrs Patience Oniha, Head Efficiency Unit of the ministry also said many Nigerians had accepted corruption as a way of life.
She said “waivers and allocations unintentionally induced corruption.”
Adeosun further said poor record systems, weak judicial systems and weak internal audit also contributed to corruption in the country.
Weak anti-corruption institutions and non-enforcement of sanctions or punishment on officials accused of corruption and pervading poverty are fuelling corruption in Nigeria, she added.
In May 2015, the Senate reportedly uncovered a N447 billion waiver fraud that involved big local firms importing rice, sugar and other products. The fraud was allegedly done through import duty waivers, concessions and grants by agencies of the Federal Government. The report then recommended that some firms who imported rice with the waivers and grant remit over N23billion, while others for sugar imports were to remit over N48billion.
