Chinedum Treasure
The Social and Integral Development Centre (SIDEC), host of Tax Justice and Governance Platform in Anambra State, has appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to pay more attention to needs of markets across the state in view of the substantial amount of monthly Internally Generated Revenue, (IGR) therein.
SIDEC Executive Director, Ugochi Ehiahuruike made the appeal during an advocacy by members of TJ&GP to the Commissioner for Industry, Christian Udechukwu, as part of the Tax for Service Project being implemented in the state in collaboration with the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC with funding support from Oxfam Nigeria.
She acknowledged government giant strides barely three years, stressing the need to justify revenue collections from all the markets in the state, which she noted would automatically increase the revenue profile of the state.
“Anambra has the potential to generate much more than it is generating currently from the markets. Apart from illegal diversion, we also discovered that the traders are not happy about lack of certain social amenities within the markets,” she stated.
According to Ehiahuruike, “The Tax for Service Project is a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening tax compliance by fostering a direct link between taxation and service delivery. Many taxpayers still perceive tax payment as a burden due to the lack of visible public services and infrastructure development.
“In this project, SIDEC, host of Tax Justice and Governance Platform (TJ&GP), seeks to engage relevant stakeholders like you towards ensuring that tax revenues translate into tangible community and markets benefits.
“Key objectives of the advocacy visit are to strengthen government commitment to improved tax transparency accountability and service delivery, to share research findings with you and submit the needs of the major markets with you.
“It is also to engage policymakers on the importance of reinvesting tax revenues into social services. present budget analysis of 2021 to 2025 in line with the needs from the markets and to advocate for inclusive policies that ensure that tax collection aligns with citizen and traders’ needs. We also aim to foster collaboration between local government authorities and civil society organizations (CSOs) for sustainable development.”
Speaking on the findings of the needs assessment research carried out by SIDEC where pressing needs of 21 major markets across the three senatorial districts of the state were gathered, Member of Tax Justice and Governance Platform, Alfred Ajayi regretted that of the markets are in dire need of intra-market roads.
He expressed optimism that findings would go a long way to addressing the ugly conditions of those markets, especially during rainy season. “While some of them asked for provision of CCTV to augment the service of security personnel they engaged, others requested for toilet facilities and fire trucks to respond to fire outbreaks which destroy goods worth millions of naira each time it occurs.
“We are of the view that when all these and other needs of the markets are addressed by government, traders will proactively increase their tax compliance.
“Enforcement works, but using part of the money gotten from the markets in those markets, will do the magic and Anambra State government and even the local government will generate more money to further serve public goods.
Responding, Commissioner Udechukwu reassured commitment of Governor Chukwuma Soludo-led government to judicious utilization of tax payment in the state.
He said the numerous projects scattered across the state were evident proof of the tax receipts, urging residents, especially traders not to relent in their faithfulness to tax payment to ensure sustenance of the development.
He said, “Soludo is very transparent and prudent in management of tax receipts and deployment or use of same. This administration is known for doing more with less.
“This explains why many are curious about how a government with little is able to accomplish much compared with previous administrations that had so much at their disposal.
“This also justifies numerous awards the present administration has won since inception, in view of much investments in infrastructure development far more than any other states in Nigeria.”
Appreciating the intervention by Tax Justice and Governance Platform, Udechukwu remarked that the budgetary allocation to the ministry as analyzed, does not fully reflect government’s expenditure on the activities and programmes of the ministry.
“I see that you have a health and safety assessment of 21 major markets in Anambra to ensure that the health and safety concerns of the traders and operators in those markets are fully addressed.
“The budget allocation specific to the Ministry of Industry does not speak to the entire commitment of the government to industrial development. You cannot propose to drive industrial development with the budget that we have, as in the statistics that you read out.
“However, some of the components of the budget are warehoused in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, that is expected to deliver on the industrial infrastructure that will support and uphold the modern industrial revolution that we are expecting to happen in the State,” he added.
The Commissioner further reassured government’s resolve to explore partnership with the private sector and communities to achieve its industrial revolution dreams.
His words, “Everything we plan to do, as far as industrialization in Anambra is concerned, involves a tripartite partnership between the public sector, the private entrepreneurs, manufacturers, banks, multilateral financial institutions, development finance institutions, and so on and so forth.
“These groups partner with the state to augment the funds that we have to enable us to achieve our goals and then, of course, the community component is where we have the communities coming in and, in some cases, providing the primary asset for any investment development, which is the land.
“We also partner the sustainability of that investment by ensuring the security of the investment in the community and the maintenance of the infrastructure that we build to support those investments.
“Yes, I’m sure you’ll see the numbers increase over time, but the budget doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s very obvious.”
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