CITN organises South-South conference to curb tax evasion

… As Zonal coordinator says tax must be paid for economic growth

By Barth Ndubuwah,Port Harcourt

Amidst devastating effects of multiple taxation on taxpayers, especially the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) operators, the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) has organised a South-South Zonal in Port Harcourt to check the menace.

National President of CITN, Mr. Adesina Adebayo congratulated the organisers of the conference, describing it as the best in recent times in the history of the Institute.

He commended the zonal coordinators for a successful conference and thanked the national officers that graced the occasion for sparing their time to attend.

Adebayo equally appreciated the participants for effective participation.

In his remarks,the Port Harcourt District Society Chairman of CITN, Mr. Godwin Ogbu said the successful hosting of the Zonal conference shows that Port Harcourt is capable of hosting a national conference of the institute.

He described the South-South 10th Zonal conference as a prelude to the bigger event. Ogbu also described the Port Harcourt Society District as number one in the country.

He invited members to the proposed N500,000,000 appeal fund launch in April aimed at building a new secretariat for CITN.

In an interview with journalists at the event, the Representative of the Chairman of Akwa Ibom Board of Internal Revenue, Okon O. Okon, Mr. Mike Etefia said the issue of multiple taxation is a great challenge to taxpayers, especially the SMEs operators.

According to him, tax ensures economic growth of every country and when taxpayers are saddled with multiple taxation, they tend to evade tax. The implication is that government starts losing revenue, which is detrimental to economic growth of any nation.

Etefia who is also the Managing Partner of Mike Etefia Chartered Accountants suggested horizontal taxation as against vertical.

According to him, the idea is to bring in more people into the tax net instead of over taxing the few taxpayers currently captured in the tax net.

He condemned  the activities of illegal tax agents, which he said has worsened the revenue of government in the country.

Also adding his voice to the issue,a member of the Inter-governmental Committee of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Mr. Clement Akanibo said the theme of the 10th South-South Zonal Conference, ‘Evolution of Taxation in Nigeria’ is apt and tends to examine the ever-evolving tax system in the society.

He said that it is important for taxpayers to know the laws and their rights to be able to face the taxmasters.

Akanibo said though Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) embarks on regular sensitisation of taxpayers,there is room for improvement.