By Dele Ogbodo/Funmi Adams
In its avowed bid to take tax simplification and compliance education campaign to Nigerians especially at the grass-root, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on Friday unveiled its radio sensitization programme in Abuja.
The campaign which cuts across all walks of life targets market women, traders to tech entrepreneurs and others in the informal sector.
At the launch, senior FIRS officials while stressing the overarching importance of the exercise, said taxation was not just a civic obligation but a vital contributor to everyday public services for the overall development of Nigeria.
The Director of Communication and Liaison Department, Dr. Abdullah Ismaila, hinted that there is the need to break down complex tax processes in a layman’s language for informal and underserved sectors.
The average market woman, he added needs to understand what Tax Pro Max is. She needs to know how to get a Tax Clearance Certificate and understand e-invoicing.
According to him, the medium will highlight the technical issues the agency plans to simplify using radio broadcasts in local languages and pidgin.
“We’re counting on radio service providers to help raise the level of awareness,” he said, adding that feedback from listeners would shape future content.” He said.
The Director of Taxpayers’ Service Department, Dr. Loveth Onanuga, in her remarks, responded to scepticism about whether taxes are truly serving the people.
On the imperative of taxation, she explained that every motorist drives on a road to get here. Did the road just make itself, she asked? It’s taxpayer money,” she said.
The Director stressed that salaries of police officers, military equipment, and even hospitals are funded by taxes.
