By Sani Idris
In commemoration of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) week, a network of tax justice advocates has taken a tax compliance and redress mechanism enlightenment campaign to “Makarfi plaza” in Kaduna
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Makarfi plaza is one of the leading mobile phones, gadgets and accessories market located in the central market in Kaduna.
The CITN tax week, technically supported by Tax Justice Network, (TJN) and Follow Taxes on tax walk/clinic, was funded by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
It was also in partnership with the Kaduna State Tax Justice and Government Platform (TJ & GP)
The theme of the CITN tax week is ‘Taxation: a panacea to economic growth and development”.
Speaking to newsmen after an awareness walk on tax compliance on Sartuday in Kaduna, Dr Said Sulaiman, the National Coordinator of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Tax for SDGs Initiative, said there were a lot of issues around the world.
He said that one of the issues to be poverty, which he said the UN came up with SDGs programme with the intent of seeing how to reduce poverty, educate the people, reduce gender parity and gap, which could only be done with money.
Sulaiman, therefore, said regarding that, the UNDP’s tax initiative conceived the need to support the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS) to generate as much revenue and resources as possible to be able to solve the issues.
He lamented that many people were ignorant of what they were supposed to pay as tax, hence their support to the project in order to educate tax payers on the procedures and guidelines for payment of taxes and what the money is used for.
He urged the public to be tax compliance in order to enjoy its dividends in livelihood, socio-economic development and positive transformation of the state.
Also, Mr Simeon Olatunde, the Coordinator of TJN in Kaduna, said tax payers sometimes experience conflicting issues in trying to pay their taxes.
“Sometimes they don’t know who to reach out to resolve their challenges, this tax week awareness campaign is an avenue for them to seek knowledge on tax.
“The platform will avail the tax payers the opportunity to lay their complains so we can resolve it, for those issues we can’t resolve, we will refer them to the appropriate unit at the KADIRS,”he said.
According to him, the government cannot shy away from tax payers plights, stressing, “everybody would want to see infrastructural and economic development at their door steps.”
Olatunde, therefore, expressed optimism that the government would reach the level of massive development, while acknowledging the previous administration’s feats in infrastructural and human development.
He urged the government on more visibility at the grassroots, so as to give the locals sense of belonging that their taxes were also working for them.
Olatunde also urged the public to pay tax as at when due, stressing that this is the only way the government can fulfill its own part of the social contract.
“Loan is not the best option for us, government are forced to take it. There is a burden in loan, because there are charges attached to it, if we pay our taxes, there will not be additional cost.
“It will also empower the tax payers to hold the Government accountable because they have play their parts of the social contract,”Olatunde said.
Earlier, Alice John, the Head, Tax Payers Service Unit of KADIRS, restated the importance of tax payment.
She added that tax payment was a responsibility of the people, while stating that the two religions also strongly advocate the need and importance of tax payment.
She said the Grievance Redress Mechanism unit at the KADIRS was always available for costumers either through phone call, social media platforms or their website in addressing issues and complains by tax payers.
John stressed the existence of penalty for tax defaulters, while urging businesses and corporate organisations to ensure prompt payment of taxes.
Also, Mr Ibrahim Ajaka, the Chairman of the Makarfi Plaza Union, commended the network for the tax clinic in the plaza.
Ajaka, represented by Abiodun Ajadi, the First Floor representative of the union, said business owners in the plaza have prior knowledge of tax payment and redress mechanism.
He however, said the tax clinic had explicitly addressed some peculiar issues related to tax being faced by business owners especially in the plaza.
He restated their committment in prompt tax payment, while urging the government to make business activities in the plaza and Kaduna markets in general more friendly.(NAN)
