•Tasks govt to strengthen public institutions
By Henry Uche
AS tax remains a major source of revenue to the government at all levels, experts in tax management and administration have expressed worries over tax collected by the government and its impact on national economy.
According to them governments are doing their best, even as they see ineptitude on the side of government towards taxation, tax and its utilisation. It is expected that people should feel the impact of the taxes (direct or indirect) they pay to government, but some public policy analysts are of the opinions that Nigerians when compared with citizens in other societies have not really received the deserved impact from the taxes they pay.
Some informed Nigerians have decried the lackadaisical (care – less) attitude of most Nigerians over management of taxes both at national and state level. These informed persons are right to feel sad because they know (by virtue of tax education), the government owe the citizens the duty and responsibility to provide basic and essential necessities of life like: good roads, potable water, basic health care facilities, basic education, et cetera, with taxpayers money.
On the other hand, those who care not to know how their taxes are being spent (or wasted) by the government, chose to let go of such knowledge because, to them, no good thing can come out of Nazareth- (Nigeria’s government at all levels), so they rather chose to pay their taxes and move on.
Given this obvious attitude towards tax matters over the years, experts are of the opinion that the government have been emboldened the more to mismanage taxes collected with little or no impact on the life of Nigerians. But the moment people begin to ask the managers of taxes (the government), the wayabout of their taxes, the government would not take them (Nigerians) for granted any longer.
For this reason, they have advocated the need for every Nigerian to know the right tools to deploy at every level of governance to demand accountability and transparency in tax management.
Then worried about the pitfalls in tax matters among others is the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, CITN, who recently educated Tax/Finance Reporters/Correspondents selected from different media organizations in Lagos, on tax reporting.
Therefore, in a bid to build and expand the knowledge base of Nigerians on the nexus between tax, taxation and economic growth and development, CITN says it has taken tax education to the secondary schools level and are engaging relevant stakeholders to ensure that such education is taken serious.
At the workshop, the president /chairman of Council of CITN, Mr. Adesina Adedayo, who made this known to newsmen said the decision was geared towards preparing the minds of young people to see reasons (why) they should be very interested to understand tax administration and management in Nigeria and how it affects their economic well-being.
According to him, it was high time Nigerians gave a top priority to tax matters and begin to ask questions where and when necessary at the three levels of governance, using every legal and acceptable tools at their disposal.
“We are engaging with relevant stakeholders to ensure that tax education is taught in secondary schools to build knowledge and understanding in future taxpayers”
CITN’s president also confirmed that with its inauguration of Association of Nigerian Tax Students (ANTAS), in Nigeria tertiary institutions, the depth of tax profession would be expanded for generational impact.
Adedayo maintained that deliberate move act of strengthening Public and private Institutions, infrastructure development, human capacity building, sound policy formulation, among others concerted efforts are sine quo non for growing the economy of society.
On his part, a tax and accounting expert, professor, Emmanuel Oyedokun, who spoke on the Nexus between Taxation and the Economic Growth, said it is very important for people to pay tax for economic growth and development, but the impact of the tax must not only be said to be written in papers but must be felt by the people in real time.
“There is a connection between tax collected and people’s welfare (economic growth and development). For every government ineffectiveness and inefficiency in the management of taxes, resources are wasted. If taxes are judiciously managed, we shall no course to complain” Oyedokun posited.
Other professionals in tax management and administration maintained that while the federal government of Nigeria may heed to the counsel of International Monetary Fund (IMF) on taxes, they should not suffocate businesses. They urged the government not to tax Nigeria to death.
As an advise, they admonished the government to conscientiously engage more tax professionals in the entire to tax administration value chain, while business operators should equally involve tax experts for necessary guidance and directions.
“Government must give Nigerians reasons to willingly pay taxes by proving that taxes are judiciously utilised. By doing individuals and corporate organizations would without hesitation pay their taxes because they could see where their monies(taxes) are transparently deployed” they affirmed.