Tax payers in Adamawa State have charged government at all levels on accountability and transparency with Internally Generated Revenue, IGR ,to encourage them pay their tax as and when due.
They gave the charge at a consultative meeting with stakeholders on strengthening taxpayers registration system and process organized by USAID State2State activity in Yola.
Organizing Secretary National Association of Private Schools Proprietors, Adamawa Chapter Ahmed Arabo, who spoke on behalf of tax payers at the meeting cited effective revenue management as pillar to transparency and stressed the need for the tax board to create channels of communication for regular update on IGR.
A Public Financial Management consultant, Chiwuike Uba, says tax is a civil obligation on citizens of any country adding that accountability would help to reduce tax apathy and stressed the need for government at all levels to be transparent with Internally Generated Revenues.
On their part, members of the Adamawa Internally Generated Revenue Service, Coordinator of taxes, Geoffrey Kofulto, Barrister Kabir Sa’ad of the Legal Department and Principal Executive Officer, Customer Service Center, Lisa Lisias say the meeting is apt coming at a time the state tax board is getting set to operate electronically, appealing to government at all levels to indicate projects made possible with IGRs.
Speaking about a previous engagement with the Adamawa Internally Revenue Service on Technical Assistance to members of the tax board, State2State’s Public Financial Management specialist, Suzanne Myada, revealed that an Action plan was developed, urging members of the board to utilize the gains for transparency and accountability in their activities especially as the project comes to an end and advised taxpayers to know their rights on some existing tax laws.
The participants were drawn from Adamawa State Board of Internal Revenue, Civil Society Organisations, Chamber of Commerce, private sector businesses and persons living with disabilities.
