Civil society organisations (CSOs), labour unions, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Ebonyi government are to collaborate in enhancing tax justice in the state.

They noted that this would be achievable through mass education and the enlightenment of taxpayers.

The initiative was part of issues emanating from a tax awareness march on Monday at the Margaret Umahi International Market, Abakaliki, by members of CSOs.

The event was organised by the Neighbourhood Initiative for Women Advancement (NIWA), a civil society organisation, in collaboration with the Tax Justice and Governance Platform, with support from the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and OXFAM.

Nancy Oko-Onya, the lead director of NIWA, who addressed traders during the sensitisation march at ‘Lot 3′ of the Market, regretted that the tax system in the state often placed a heavy burden on the poor and low-income earners.

She called for proper assessment before taxation to avoid crippling budding business enterprises with their resultant economic hardship on the citizens.

Ms Oko-Onya, also the Ebonyi host of the Tax Justice and Governance platform, called for total automation of revenue collection in the state to address the issue of leakages.

She maintained that cooperation between the citizens and government would enhance revenue accrual to the government for development while restoring the confidence of taxpayers.

Ms Oko-Onya said, “Also, we have been advocating against using third parties—contractors—who are not trained to collect revenues with their untrained boys as task forces; this has caused fights and conflicts on a regular basis.

“Most times, there is no tax assessment by revenue officers, making people tasked above their earning capacities.”

Ms Oko-Onya commended Governor Francis Nwifuru for recently inaugurating the state Revenue Appeal Commission (RAC) and his directive to spare petty traders from market taxes.

“We call on the newly-inaugurated Revenue Appeal Commission to have a relationship with the citizens and create awareness about their existence and how the citizens can access them,” she said.

Meanwhile, Christopher Okorie, the Ebonyi coordinator for the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), cautioned that the process of revenue drive and collection should have a human face, respecting the rights of citizens.

He stressed that the commission was ready to organise training for revenue collectors to enhance their approach to revenue drives.

Others who spoke, including Fidelis Mbam, the chairman, Lot 3 traders union, appealed to the government and its revenue agents to avoid imposing multiple taxes on them.

(NAN)