Anambra State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Hon. Chiamaka Nnake, has advised members of Tax Justice and Governance Platform to extend their tax for Service Campaign to local government chairmen, for optimal success.
Angel Network News (ANN) reports that
the Commissioner made the call during an advocacy visit by the team under the Tax for Service Project implemented in partnership with the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, (CISLAC) with funding support from Oxfam Nigeria.
Nnake noted that by financial autonomy, the local government collect some revenues in form of fees and levies for which they also must be held accountable.
“I know that the local government chairmen, officials of AiRS and others have been meeting since this year trying to agree on how to streamline the process to avoid multiple taxation which citizens have been complaining about.
“It is good you also interact with them so that everybody appreciates the need to use the money being generated for common good. I hope that it will lead us to a roundtable meeting to actually brainstorm on this important subject matter.
Hon.Nnake described the project as complementary to government’s efforts to increase locally generated revenue.
“The state appreciates your campaign and we’ll go through the report. However, I must reiterate that tax payment is an obligation under the law and when citizens fulfill that, they can boldly ask their government for service. They can hold the government accountable for not doing what it’s expected to do.
“I know that those markets have needs and definitely we would look at those needs. Government is also providing other common goods across the state. I think the advocacy is just for everyone to do what they have to do first and the government would then be committed to doing its bit.
“People don’t pay taxes for two reasons. Number one is low awareness. Many people think it’s those who have money that pay taxes. And the other one is the issue of trust. People really don’t know if they pay the little they have, if they use it for their own common goods”.
“Happily, this government has shown them how their money is working for them. The money we have been using is from FARC allocation and the one generated internally. This shows that the massive investments across the state are result of prudent management of the limited resources available,” Nnake submitted.
The Executive Director, Social and Integral Development Centre, (SIDEC), Ugochi Ehiahuruike host of TJ&GP, had earlier recalled the contribution of the team to the IGR drive of the state.
“Before the inception of this project, the total IGR amount of the states was revolving around 3.2 billion per month. However, after a while, it was able to generate 4.7billion per month.
“Our awareness creation efforts also contributed to that. We will be able to achieve our expected goal when we are able to get more people to pay their taxes. And one major way to achieve that is to invest part of money generated from traders in those markets. They have myriads of needs for which they look up to the government.
“Again, we discovered that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry will need more budgetary allocation and releases to be able to respond to those needs. In our report, we recommend to AiRS the need for sustained engagement with citizens on the tax reforms and innovations. They need to know what they need to pay, where and how to pay.
“And we know that your ministry is pivotal in this. If some of these needs will ever be budgeted for, it can be achieved through the ministry,” she said.
A member, Tax Justice and Governance Platform, Mr. Alfred Ajayi, listed some of the needs of the markets.
“At Eke-Awka market in Awka, traders yearn are yearning for fire trucks, solar lights, boreholes, while Electrical Parts Market, Obosi, they need fire trucks, boreholes, modern toilet facilities. International Building Material Market, Ogidi is in need of fire trucks, solar lights, CCTV, and VIP toilets.
In Anambra North, Onitsha main market needs solar lights, modern toilet facilities, CCTV, roads within the markets and around the markets. For Ogbaru Relief Market, they are in need of borehole, fire truck, concrete floor, roads within the markets.
In Anambra South, Building Material Market, Nnewi is in need of modern toilet facilities, borehole, and solar lights. Ekwulobia is asking for security van, solar lights, borehole, roads within and around that the new market. We are of the view that if government pays closer attention to those markets, where it generates a substantial portion of its revenue, traders will naturally be spurred to pay more and it will save government the huge amount it spends on enforcement.
