Be civil in tax, levy collection, CITN charges LGs

The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) has said the financial autonomy pronounced for local governments by the Supreme Court would boost economic activities at the local level.

While welcoming the court verdict, the CITN stated that it would also lead the employment generation in addition to reducing rural-urban migration and level of criminality at sub and national levels.

Ag. Registrar/Chief Executive of CITN, Afolake Oso, said the CITN, as an institute devoted to promoting a professionalised tax system, expects “that this development will curb the unwholesome and uncivilised practice of touting and using non-state actors in revenue collection at the local governments, which arises from an unstructured political and ineffective tax system.” 

“This practice, though aimed at augmenting poor revenues, leaves the system very inactive. The Institute, therefore, urges Chairmen of local governments to commit themselves to ensuring civil approaches in the collection of taxes and levies due to the local government within the confines of the laws of the land and to allow the proper functioning of the Local Government Revenue Committee.”

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The CITN commended the federal government for the bold step taken towards instituting the court action.