Inequality: Oxfam and others ask for a revision of tax laws

Inequality: Oxfam and others ask for a revision of tax laws

To buck the present trend of the most vulnerable members of society paying higher taxes than the wealthy, the international NGO Oxfam has called for a revision of Nigeria’s tax laws.

At the Fiscal Accountability for Inequality Reduction FAIR4ALL Media Colloquium and Exhibition in Abuja, Dr. William Mafwalal, Acting Head of Programmes, Oxfam Nigeria, made the plea.

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Connected Development (CODE), the Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), budgiT, and the Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre were all partners in the program’s organisation.

The current practise of market women and farmers paying greater or multiple taxes was criticised by Mafwalal in the person of Oxfam Nigeria’s acting country director, Hamza Tijani.

He stated that one reason for the high percentage of poverty in the society is inequality.

“Our tax system needs a lot of work to guarantee that taxes are collected as they should be and that the individuals charged with pushing taxes do their jobs.

According to studies, vulnerable people at the bottom of the economic ladder are the ones who pay more taxes than those at the top, who have more options for employment as a result of government policies and programmes.

“The policies sometimes provide tax relief to some of these firms and organisations, which are supposed to pay high taxes, while allowing the vulnerable market women and farmers in the villages to pay taxes on everything they access or need to survive.

The government needs to take another look at its policies to make sure they are balanced and delivering fair taxation.

Those who are required to pay taxes should do so, he added, adding that those who are expected to pay more should do so while those who are expected to pay less should do so.

According to him, Oxfam envisions a Nigeria devoid of both inequality and poverty, and one in which every voice is heard.

He claims that the goal of Oxfam Nigeria is to support and develop civil society so that it can assist create a Nigeria free from poverty and inequality.

In order to enhance the system, stop leaks in the tax system, guarantee the budget system is as participatory as possible, and deliver services as it should to the community, Mafwalal said Oxfam was working to establish partnerships across government institutions.

“Part of what we are doing is Oxfam strategy of reducing inequality and gender justice and also contributing to global Oxfam strategy on just economy, gender justice, and accountable governance,” he said.

The programme is a global initiative that is being carried out in 14 nations, including the Netherlands, according to Henry Ushie, Project Coordinator for FAIR4ALL.

“FAIR4ALL’s overarching goal is to determine how we might lessen inequality, one of the main causes of poverty.

“Based on the research we did, we came to the conclusion that inequality, which has truly been endemic, is the cause of this much poverty. This programme was launched because we need to put an end to that threat, the speaker stated.

According to him, Oxfam has been able to work across policy areas in terms of supporting policy implementation within the tax industry since the program’s beginning three years ago thanks to the backing of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ushie added that the group has worked with partners to “ensure that budget is as participatory as possible and also promoted fair taxation.”

The huge disparity in rural areas worries Foluso Adejoro, policy advisor for the Netherlands Embassy’s department of food security and climate change.

On the other hand, he asserted that everyone should work towards progress.

Adejoro noted the importance of “driving change at the community level” and commended Oxfam and other partners for their efforts in advancing tax fairness thus far.

Additionally, Joseph Amenaghawon, Strategy, Growth and Analytics Advisor, budgiT, stated that the largest catalyst was to energise Nigerians to prioritise fiscal accountability and that the measure may be utilised to deal with inequality-related concerns.

Amenaghawon claimed that his agency, which collaborates with Oxfam in the three focus states of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Delta, highlighted dealing with the media as one of the major areas for improvement.

“Also to educate the government on open contracting, and to help communities better comprehend the dynamics of budgeting and planning.

The culmination of all of these factors, he claimed, “will ultimately enable citizens directly involved in how to manage public finances and most importantly how we can then use that to deal with challenges of inequalities.”

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), National Environmental Standard Regulation and Enforcement Agency, National Human Rights Commission, and other organisations sent representatives to the colloquium.

To buck the present trend of the most vulnerable members of society paying higher taxes than the wealthy, the international NGO Oxfam has called for a revision of Nigeria’s tax laws.

At the Fiscal Accountability for Inequality Reduction FAIR4ALL Media Colloquium and Exhibition in Abuja, Dr. William Mafwalal, Acting Head of Programmes, Oxfam Nigeria, made the plea.

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Connected Development (CODE), the Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), budgiT, and the Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre were all partners in the program’s organisation.

The current practise of market women and farmers paying greater or multiple taxes was criticised by Mafwalal in the person of Oxfam Nigeria’s acting country director, Hamza Tijani.

He stated that one reason for the high percentage of poverty in the society is inequality.

“Our tax system needs a lot of work to guarantee that taxes are collected as they should be and that the individuals charged with pushing taxes do their jobs.

According to studies, vulnerable people at the bottom of the economic ladder are the ones who pay more taxes than those at the top, who have more options for employment as a result of government policies and programmes.

“The policies sometimes provide tax relief to some of these firms and organisations, which are supposed to pay high taxes, while allowing the vulnerable market women and farmers in the villages to pay taxes on everything they access or need to survive.

The government needs to take another look at its policies to make sure they are balanced and delivering fair taxation.

Those who are required to pay taxes should do so, he added, adding that those who are expected to pay more should do so while those who are expected to pay less should do so.

According to him, Oxfam envisions a Nigeria devoid of both inequality and poverty, and one in which every voice is heard.

He claims that the goal of Oxfam Nigeria is to support and develop civil society so that it can assist create a Nigeria free from poverty and inequality.

In order to enhance the system, stop leaks in the tax system, guarantee the budget system is as participatory as possible, and deliver services as it should to the community, Mafwalal said Oxfam was working to establish partnerships across government institutions.

“Part of what we are doing is Oxfam strategy of reducing inequality and gender justice and also contributing to global Oxfam strategy on just economy, gender justice, and accountable governance,” he said.

The programme is a global initiative that is being carried out in 14 nations, including the Netherlands, according to Henry Ushie, Project Coordinator for FAIR4ALL.

“FAIR4ALL’s overarching goal is to determine how we might lessen inequality, one of the main causes of poverty.

“Based on the research we did, we came to the conclusion that inequality, which has truly been endemic, is the cause of this much poverty. This programme was launched because we need to put an end to that threat, the speaker stated.

According to him, Oxfam has been able to work across policy areas in terms of supporting policy implementation within the tax industry since the program’s beginning three years ago thanks to the backing of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ushie added that the group has worked with partners to “ensure that budget is as participatory as possible and also promoted fair taxation.”

The huge disparity in rural areas worries Foluso Adejoro, policy advisor for the Netherlands Embassy’s department of food security and climate change.

On the other hand, he asserted that everyone should work towards progress.

Adejoro noted the importance of “driving change at the community level” and commended Oxfam and other partners for their efforts in advancing tax fairness thus far.

Additionally, Joseph Amenaghawon, Strategy, Growth and Analytics Advisor, budgiT, stated that the largest catalyst was to energise Nigerians to prioritise fiscal accountability and that the measure may be utilised to deal with inequality-related concerns.

Amenaghawon claimed that his agency, which collaborates with Oxfam in the three focus states of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Delta, highlighted dealing with the media as one of the major areas for improvement.

“Also to educate the government on open contracting, and to help communities better comprehend the dynamics of budgeting and planning.

The culmination of all of these factors, he claimed, “will ultimately enable citizens directly involved in how to manage public finances and most importantly how we can then use that to deal with challenges of inequalities.”

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), National Environmental Standard Regulation and Enforcement Agency, National Human Rights Commission, and other organisations sent representatives to the colloquium.