By Victoria Effiong
In the heart of every economy, taxation plays a vital role in generating revenue for governments to fund public goods and services. However, when taxes become a burden rather than a benefit, citizens begin to feel the weight of an unfair system.
Imagine paying a significant portion of your income in taxes, only to see little improvement in your community, infrastructure, or public services. To make matters worse, tax collectors use strong-arm tactics, harassing, bullying, and even physically intimidating overwhelmed citizens.
The Civil Society for Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC) and partners, under the Strengthening Taxation in Africa for Transparency and Equity (STATE) Project, discussed these issues with the Executive Chairman of the Cross River Internal Revenue Service (CRIRS), Chief Edwin Okon, in Calabar.
Speaking during the visit, The Senior Program Officer, CISLAC, Ayo Omowu commended the State Government and CRIRS for efforts to reform the tax system, making it more equitable, transparent, and people-friendly.
Omowu congratulated Cross River State on achieving significant milestones, including the passage of the Presumptive Tax Law in 2023 and the appointment of a Special Adviser to the Governor on Toll Implementation to control illegal taxation and exploitation of taxpayers.
CISLAC and partners presented a five-point request to the Chairman, seeking decisive action against non-state actors intimidating traders, alternative income sources for affected actors, strengthened partnerships for awareness creation, sex and gender-disaggregated data collection, and increased stakeholder participation in tax policy making.
Reacting to these demands. the CRIRS Chairman thanked the group for their partnership and commitment to building an equitable tax regime. He highlighted the state government’s efforts to implement the PT law, improve the tax regime,leverage technology for automated tax payment and harmonize state and Local government taxes.
He stated that “The CRS Government is walking the talk on taxation. The Governor, Senator Prince Bassey Otu, has appointed a board for the CRIRS to assist in the task of not just widening the tax net but to improve on the overall tax regime.”
On his part, the Chairman of the Calabar Chamber of Commerce, CALCIMA, Mr. David Etim, identified political patronage as a challenge and urged reorientation of tax collectors. He opined that
“When Local Government Revenue Collectors or touts harass, bully and intimidate a market woman to pay her tax, she doesn’t see the tout as the perpetrator but the State Government and by extension the Governor as the person harassing her and not allowing her breath.”
Mr. Etim feels this narrative has to be changed and pledged the commitment of CALCIMA and others to help reorient these tax collectors from what they currently do which has brought disrepute to the State Government and the CRIRS.
The Chairman of the CRS Tax Justice and Governance Platform, Williams Itorok Esq., pledged to continue advocating for fair and just taxation. The platform has been performing this role for the past decade and plans to embark on a media advocacy campaign to educate taxpayers and tax collectors on best practices.
The STATE Project is supported by the International Budget Partnership (IBP) and implemented by a cohort of organizations, including the African Center for Tax Governance, Follow Taxes, Association of Nigerian Women Business Network, and the Society of Women in Taxation, coordinated by CISLAC.
