Taxation is the oldest source of revenue for government- CITN President

By Olusegun Obisanya

The President and Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, CITN, Dame Olajumoke Simplice, has identified taxation as the oldest source of revenue for any government including Nigeria. She therefore advised governments at all levels to sustain the practice. She also urged government agency like National Orientation Agency, NOA, to wake up to its statutory responsibility.

The CITN 14th president spoke with some select news reporters at the 44th induction ceremony of the Institute over the weekend in Lagos, where 283 members were inducted as tax professionals.

Among the inductees were civil servants from across the country and lawmaker as well.

Simplice remarked, “Taxation is the only viable source of revenue for government. We’ve had our way before oil came. Before oil revenue came, it was taxation. The pyramid of Kano, the cocoa, the cotton and others created revenue for government through taxation and export until the oil came. Taxation is the only source that endures forever. It is the oldest source of revenue for government and it should be sustained.

“More than ever before, there is a compelling need to reinvigorate our enlightenment and education mechanisms and for this reason the National Orientation Agency (NOA) must wake up to its statutory responsibilities. The CITN Council has approved District Societies as part of our concerted plan of action to change the part of its responsibilities. The continuous engagement in regular education and enlightenment programmes at the national level and through our District Societies, is required to change the narrative of poor tax awareness among the citizens.”

She urged citizens to contribute their quota to the development of the country through prompt payment of their taxes, adding that oil and other resources are wasting assets and resources respectively but taxation is not, it can only grow.

She added, “We cannot continue to run red economy; we should fall back on green economy and that is where we are going now. So, it is very important that even the government should assist the people to understand, government should do its part and let the tax payers see what their money is being used for.”

For the purpose of growing revenue accruing from taxes, the CITN president stressed that government should create a viable climate where people can do their businesses and pay taxes and also see what the taxes they are paying is being used for.

She charged inductees to conduct themselves with decorum while discharging their duties bearing in mind that there are penalties for misconduct.

“The Institute has in place a mechanism for monitoring members in practice towards ensuring strict adherence to professional ethics and standards. This is intended to ensure that members in practice conform to best practices, standards, decorum and integrity in their relationship with clients, government and indeed all stakeholders in the tax system.”

The keynote speaker, Lagos State Auditor-General, Mrs. Helen Morenike Deile charged the new tax professionals to see their induction as a clarion call to service to their clients, the tax payers and government. She emphasised the need for them to maintain uprightness, faithfulness in the discharge of their responsibilities. She urged them to avoid competition with the big playerses tax professionals advising  them to explore other untapped areas of tax revenue.

She noted that the admittance of the inductees into CITN is the “beginning of the game”.

While stressing that inductees should acquire the knowledge and technological skill to efficiently to enable carry out their duty efficiently, the auditor-general stressed that as new entrants who want to blossom, they see their induction as the beginning to seek requisite knowledge as professionals in the new world order. She urge them to seek embrace continuous professional advancement and embrace change as well as self discipline.