By Golok Nanmwa
Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) at the weekend called on government agencies responsible for revenue generation to ensure that taxable entities that are already registered are monitored towards ensuring their tax returns reflect the true state of their affairs at a given period.
This was made by the President of CITN, Chief Cyril Ikemefuna Ede, at the 3rd Zonal Tax Conference, held in Jos, the Plateau State Capital.
Ede said, “In recent times, we have seen a lot of initiatives by government in an attempt to increase revenue from taxes.
“From the tax amnesty programme to the freeze of accounts of adjudged tax defaulters and the recent executive Order 008 of 2018 on the Voluntary Offshore Assets Regularization Scheme (VOARS).
According to him, “This is simply a demonstration of government’s commitment towards repositioning the tax system, as a key revenue mobiliser for government activities and developmental projects, away from our over reliance on oil revenue.
The President maintained that the theme of the conference: Enhancing Tax Revenue Through Tax Audit and Investigation”, was apt, saying the Institute had always emphasized on increasing the tax base and not the rates.
“While we commend the tax authorities for efforts being made to increase the number of taxpayers, we also need to emphasize that taxable entities that are already registered are monitored towards ensuring their tax returns reflect the true state of their affairs at a given period”, he stressed.
Earlier in his welcome address, Chairman Jos 8 District Society, Dan-Philip Hirkop, said, “This conference is imperative because revenue service in Nigeria must keep pace with rapidly growing technological world.
Hirkop said, “Yesterday’s solution may not solve today’s problems and will not solve tomorrow’s.
“The entire States Internal Revenue Service in the zone require state-of-the-art information for today and tomorrow to enhance their revenue capacity”, he maintained.
Participants were drawn from Federal and State Governments agencies, as well as private organizations cutting across the States in the North Central zone of the country and the Abuja.
