By; ALEX UANGBAOJE, Kaduna
Coordinator Tax Justice and Governance Platform (TJ&GP), Kaduna State, Simeon Olatunde, has appealed to all accountability mechanisms, Civil Society Coalitions, Community Based Organizations and other tax stakeholders to join hands with in making sure the state achieves the voluntary tax compliance drive.
Ola, noted that no government can achieve genuine development without deliberate tax compliance, emphasizing that an improved IGR will engender development in the state.
The coordinator, made the call at the weekend, during a Town Hall meet to have a unified civic position towards engaging tax administrators and relevant state actors, ahead of the review of state tax law, supported by Christian Aid.
He expressed hope that the partnership with other stakeholders should be able to help in driving the informal sector to become compliant to tax payment which is expected to impact IGR.
According to him, a critical look at the IGR to budget increases yearly shows that IGR in the State is suffering, adding that there’s need for people to begin to volunteer willingly in tax payment so government can raise more money for development.
Olatunde added that the “meeting with other stakeholders is to identify and harvest taxpayers concerns on revenue generation (tax assessment, collections and accountability) processes in the state.
“Improve taxpayers’ knowledge on their tax rights, obligations and the existing grievance redress mechanism GRM channels and to harmonize civil society inputs and strengthen collaborations towards optimizing tax revenue mobilization.”
In his address, Corporate Communication Officer of Kaduna Internal Revenue Service, Jamilu Zakari, who appreciated the network for her efforts, said the move would go a long way in helping the agency in achieving its 120 billion Naira target for 2024 and beyond.
On his part, CS Co-chair Open Government Partnership (OGP), Kaduna State chapter, Mubarak Abdulganiyi, stated that in the spirit of collaboration, CS need to seize the opportunity to exchange ideas, share experiences, and collectively formulate strategies that resonate with the principles of openness and justice in tax administration.
“The diversity of our backgrounds and expertise is our strength, and together, we can propel the discourse on tax justice to new heights.
“I extend my deepest appreciation to each one of you for your commitment, passion, and invaluable contributions to the cause of tax justice. May our deliberations be fruitful, our collaborations enduring, and our impact resounding. Welcome to this transformative journey, and let us collectively shape a future where tax justice prevails for the betterment of all.” He said.
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