CISLAC trains Journalists on tax transparency, equity in Nigeria

CISLAC trains Journalists on tax transparency, equity in Nigeria

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), with support from the International Budget Partnership (IBP), has conducted training for selected journalists on the “Strengthening Taxation in Africa for Transparency and Equity” (STATE) project.

The two-day training, which took place in Abuja, brought together journalists from Cross River, Taraba, Kano, and Lagos, representing various media platforms, including electronic, radio, television, and print.

In his remarks, the Executive Director (ED) of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Ibrahim, stated that the training aimed to foster collaboration among stakeholders to ensure governments are held accountable for establishing a transparent tax system.

Another resource person, Dr Timothy Usman, provided detailed insights into ‘Understanding and raising awareness on road infrastructure tax credit scheme.’

Usman concluded that legal issues surrounding fiscal federalism should be addressed to ensure sustainability.

He also highlighted that if the scheme is properly implemented, it will create opportunities for constructing important roads for industrial development.

The Executive Director explained that for a nation to achieve sound economic performance, there is a need for robust public financial management as a means to realise its aspirations and goals of good governance.

He further emphasised that without equity at the core of fiscal governance, the rich will continue to prosper while the poor remain in poverty.

“Nigeria has generated significant tax revenue that could have been used for development. However, due to corruption and sabotage by some unpatriotic Nigerians, ordinary people engaged in business continue to suffer while multinational corporations thrive.”

Earlier, the resource person, Chinedu Bassey, extensively discussed the regressive implications of taxation on the people and emphasised that it goes against the principle of fairness.

He maintained that the coercive enforcement of direct assessments and other levies at the state and local government levels on SMEs imposes greater hardship on women than on their male counterparts, as women are overly represented in the informal economic sector.