Effective Tax Collection: Economist advocates translation of laws, policies into local languages
By Mariya Shuaibu Suleiman
An Economist Dr. Abdulsalam Muhammad Kani has identified the lack of adequate laws and policies as a major challenge in tax collection in Kano State.
“It is only when you have tax equity that you can promote voluntary tax compliance, if you want taxpayers to be paying the tax voluntarily, there should be equity. Equity implies fairness. Each taxpayer in Kano State should know when to pay, how much to pay and the mode of payment, and each taxpayer should be allowed to pay his/her tax when it is convenient for him/her to pay the tax,’ Dr. Kani said.
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Dr. Abdulsalam Muhammad Kani, who is also the Executive Director of Fiscal Discipline and Development Advocacy Centre (FIDAC) stated this at a two-day workshop organized for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Media practitioners on how to Improve Tax Equity and Transparency in Kano State.
Dr. Kani therefore, urged CSOs and journalists to advocate tax equity and translation of tax laws and policies into Hausa and Ajami languages in Kano for better understanding.
The aim of the workshop was for CSOs and Journalists to synergize and work towards improving and promoting tax equity and transparency through awareness campaigns on the mass and social media to the general public.
SOLACEBASE reports that the event held on the 29-30th of November, at Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Research, Mumbayya House in Kano State was by Tax Justice and Governance Platform (TJ & GP) in collaboration with TinT-Follow Taxes and supported by the Christian Aid (CAID) and International Budget Partnership (IBP).
In a remark, the convener of the event, Sadiq Muhammad Mustapha, stressed the need for CSOs and media professionals to join hands in enhancing taxpayers’ understanding of their rights, obligations, and protection.
On his part, Khalifa Haliru, the lead Director of TinT-Follow Taxes said both CSOs and the media have major role to play in the movement of tax revenue mobilization, and promotion of tax transparency and equity as they are powerful tools and in a better position to shape the people’s mind to understand the need to pay their taxes, their rights and obligations.
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The program ended with Journalists and the CSOs agreeing to work hand-in-hand towards improving and promoting tax equity and transparency through a series of mass media and social media campaigns to enlighten tax legislators, tax collectors, taxpayers, and the general public on tax equity, taxpayers rights, and protection as well as ensuring government’s accountability of the tax revenue.
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