The Nigerian House of Representatives has adopted the report by the Committee on Communications regarding the Nigerian Postal Service Act (Amendment) Bill, which recommended the establishment of the Nigerian Postal Commission and bringing the operations of the Nigerian Postal Service under the commission.
The legislation titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Nigerian Postal Service Act Cap 6127 LFN 2006 and establish the Nigeria Postal Commission to make Comprehensive provisions for the development and regulation of postal service; and for other related matters.’
The proposed amendment is expected to retain NIPOST’s powers to collect stamp duty on behalf of the Federal Government following clashes between the Federal Inland Revenue Service and NIPOST over stamp duty collection when the Finance Bill 2020 moved the responsibility from the latter to the former.
The Federal Government earlier this year declared that NIPOST was the authentic body to produce and collect stamp duties in Nigeria.
The legislation read in part; “As from the commencement of this bill, notwithstanding anything contained in any enactment whatsoever, all receipts, documents and other instruments shall be denoted, authenticated and validated with adhesive and or electronic stamp of the Postal Service for the purpose of denoting, authenticating and validating receipts, documents and other instruments in accordance with the ‘Stamping Protocol”
“The Public Postal Operator shall be the only competent authority to charge and collect proceeds from the sale of adhesive and or electronic stamps for the purposes of denoting, authenticating and validating receipts, documents and other instruments.
Comment here