The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that the state government will partner with the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) to drive advocacy campaigns so as to widen the tax net in the state.
Obaseki said this during a courtesy call by members of the Benin District Society of the CITN, at Government House in Benin City.
He explained that the collaboration will help the state government deepen advocacy programmes to sensitise members of the public on their civic responsibility as regards taxation.
The governor noted that the state government needs to expand its tax net so it could sustain its developmental strides, adding that focus in the past was corporate organisations while neglecting about 70 per cent of the employed labour force and those who operate small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the state.
“Government relies on the economic activities of its citizens for sustenance. This is done through taxation. We need to emphasise the need for citizens to develop a habit of paying tax. We also need to tweak the system so that owners of SMEs will be conscious of the fact that they need to pay taxes,” he added.
Obaseki also noted that people who earn more in the society should pay more taxes while urging political leaders to pay stipulated taxes based on their income.
He assured members of the institute of government’s support and promised that the state would allocate a parcel of land for the institute to build its Benin Secretariat.
Earlier, the President of the institute, Dame Gladys Olajumoke Simplice, commended the performance of the Obaseki-led administration in setting-up industrial clusters in the state to encourage production.
She noted that the institute was ready to partner with the Edo State Government in its initiative to improve revenue collection, urging the state to support some of its programmes, which includes exchange programmes and study tours.
