Nigeria: Our New Tax Regime Will End Fraud in IGR Generation Says Gov. Orji
Umuahia — Governor Thoedore Orji of Abia State has disclosed that the new tax regime being put in place by the State government is targeted at removing all forms of fraudulent practices that had bedeviled tax payment and collection in the past..
The Governor who stated this at the maiden Abia State Revenue Summit held at the Michael Okpara auditorium Umuahia yesterday said it was regrettable the more than 80% of the taxes, levies and revenues collected in the state went to private pockets, saying that with the new regime that would stop.
He explained that what the revenue agents did was to get government approval to collect levies, taxes and revenues and then adopt all kinds of draconian method to collect them. The Governor said their operations lacked human face, adding that the outcry it generated could no longer be ignored by the government.
Governor Orji said that though the government has to raise funds for its operations, it however must be done taking into consideration the feelings of the people and called on the participants to generate a tax blue print that would be acceptable and workable.
“We want the taxes paid without grudging; it is not the intention of government to impose levies, but having given me your mandate I have to ameliorate your suffering.
“When I heard the cry of Abia people especially from Aba and Umuahia I responded immediately by stopping all forms of taxes and levies.
“The people are right to agitate the levies, fees and revenues because there are too much.”
Besides, government, according to the Governor, needs revenue to develop the state. He appealed to the people to discard the tradition of tax evasion common during the colonial era saying that the revenue now unlike in the colonial government would be used to develop the state for the benefit of all residents.
In his speech, the Finance Commissioner Dr Philips Nto said government was investigating some sub-treasuries in connection with revenue fraud, adding that with dwindling oil prices government could no longer depend on allocations from Abuja.
He said the summit became necessary so that stakeholders would be involved in the formulation of a workable tax policy in the state, adding that the ongoing reform in the sector also targets the securing pension funds through e-payment.
Chairman of the occasion and Vice Chancellor of Rhema University Aba, Professor, Ogbonnaya Onwudike said the summit was government’s way of interfacing with the tax paying community to raise the internally generated revenue of the state for greater performance.
The Guest lecturer/ key discussant, Professor Uchenna Nwachukwu from Connecticut University, USA, advised the people to cooperate with government to establish a tax regime that would generate revenue for government projects especially with the dwindling oil revenue.
