Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, has said, out of almost two million eligible taxpayers in the state, not more than 200,000 people are paying taxes.
Obaseki stated this in Benin while addressing workers during the Workers’ Day celebration with the theme “COVID 19, Social and Economic Crisis, Challenges for jobs, social protection and people’s welfare”.
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He said his administration would collaborate with the state’s workers to expand the tax net in the state following the dwindling revenue from the federal allocation.
He said it was unfair for only state workers to be the ones paying taxes to the state, adding that the people are the greatest assets of the government.
“It’s unfair for only workers to be paying taxes. Out of the almost two million eligible taxpayers in Edo, not more than 200,000 people paying taxes,” he said.
According to him, the expansion of the state tax net would enable the state to generate more revenue to sustain decent jobs and provide social protection for the people.
“With the dwindling revenue from Abuja, how can we continue to do what we are doing in Edo if people do not contribute their quota through taxation to support the state government.
While assuring that workers’ welfare was his top priority, he urged them to collaborate with the government in enlightening the citizens and encourage them to pay taxes.
Earlier, the Chairman of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr Marshall Ohue, appealed to the governor to regularised the appointment of staff in the state’s Information Communication Technology Agency (ICTA).
Also speaking, the Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Edo, Mr Sunday Osanyande, noted that despite the challenges of COVID-19, the governor took an aggressive drive in industrialization, infrastructural revolution and implementation of the N30,000 Minimum Wage to Edo workers.
