Tina Amanda
The need for traders at the rural and urban markets to take part in the issue of taxation has begun to take centre stage in stakeholder gatherings in some states of the Federation.
This was made known in a one-day traders sensitization workshop in Port Harcourt, organized by Oxfam, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center and Tax Justice and Governance Platform, on the possible ways of paying and receiving taxes.
Coordinator Rivers State Tax Justice and Governance Platform, Ameachi Kelechi, said the forum aims to know the challenges and possible ways of resolving some of the challenges and more inclusive ways of tackling tax issues.
Kelechi said the forum aims to facilitate and promote fair and progressive taxation, just as he urged the traders to comply with proper tax payment.
“This sensitization is based on the grant from Oxfam to promote progressive taxation across the 36 States of Nigeria. The fact is there is a challenge with oil money government is now talking about taxes, so the people should be part of that conversation.
“Here in Rivers State, especially the informal sector like the market women, and small traders they challenge like multiple taxation; they do not have facilities in their market even upon paying those various layers of taxes. They spend all these taxes in the market, yet they do not have services.
“It’s also the excessive force used in collecting these taxes from traders; at the end, you have gender-based violence on the market women. They face challenges of being unable to govern themselves; most institutions or government institutions in the market are appointed by the government, which means their civic space and right to associate amongst themselves are limited.
“We want a situation where they can begin to talk to the government, we will be building their skill on advocacy strategy and building them on communication, put them at the front to engage with the state actors so that it won’t be the Civil Society people doing the talking for them.
“We feel some percentage of taxes or rates paid in the market, even in some communities, should be used to address the specific needs of the people. In some market you go there is no good sanitary facility or loading bay where people can bring in their goods.
“No silo’s where the market people can store their perishables to reduce their economic and financial losses. We are trying to create that space where traders and government come together as partners.
“We are saying fair for all, not for the market women or traders alone but for the government because that is what the Oxfam project is about. We want to create a more inclusive, transparent and accountable resource government in the state”.
On her part, Chairperson of the Society of Women in Taxation, Eunice Odum, said most levies paid by Trader do not represent taxes, which is the essence of the sensitization to get educate traders on how to pay the right taxes that can help them access loan’s and benefits from government and organizations through their tax clearance certificate.
She explained that traders need to be taught on her to keep their daily records to help them know what tax to pay and what authorities to pay to.
Also, the Chairman National Association of Nigerian Traders Rivers State, Daniel Iheme, called on the state government to intervene in the challenges traders face, such as maintenance, markets and parks issues.
He complained that most government-provided facilities for traders, such as parks, toilets, and roofs, are no more accessible while lamenting that they pay yearly for market maintenance to the government and nothing is done, as they end up using their own.
Our correspondent reports that representatives of the leadership of the traders union across the local government were present at the forum held at the premises of Mile One Police Divisional Headquarters.
