By Seyi Babalola
Vice President Kashim Shettima has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s government is focused on improving the country’s tax system rather than laying a huge burden on Nigerians.
According to him, the administration’s primary goal is to enhance the efficiency of tax collection rather than to increase the tax burden on Nigerians.
He disclosed this on Thursday, when he hosted a team from the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Shettima noted that no Nigerian is pleased with the illegal tax collection happening across the entire country by non-state actors.
Soliciting CITN’s insights on attracting foreign direct investment through competitive company tax rates, Senator Shettima said: “The focus of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration is not to increase the tax burden on Nigerians but to improve the efficiency of tax collection. That is our fundamental motive.
“As you go across every state, you get to at least five or six places where you have to pay all sorts of fictitious taxes that do not get to the pockets of the government.”
The Vice President stressed the importance of collaborating with the CITN to adopt global best practices in tax administration, pointing out that knowledge is not something to be bought but earned.
In his remarks, CITN President Samuel Agbeluyi commended the Federal Government’s efforts to address the needs of Nigerians, citing the recent suspension of the Cyber Security Levy as a prime example.
He applauded the administration’s initiatives, including unifying exchange rates, attracting foreign investment, establishing the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, as well as deploying monetary policy measures to stabilise the naira, combat inflation, and recapitalise banks.
Agbeluyi outlined the CITN’s multi-pronged goals, chief among which is forging a strategic partnership with the government to ensure the smooth implementation of the fiscal policy committee’s recommendations.
He advocated the professionalisation of tax functions within government agencies, recognising exemplary tax professionals and taxpayers through national honours, and fostering a robust working relationship between the CITN and the Vice President’s office on fiscal matters.
