By Ameachi Prosper
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Delta State Board of Internal Revenue (DBIR) are collaborating with entertainment industry stakeholders to seek practical ways of strengthening government and entertainment industry relationship with a view at using entertainment to create greater awareness on the needs for citizens to pay their taxes.
The engagement session which was tagged “Day of Glamour and Civic Responsibility” was held in Asaba, Delta State capital.
Mr. Babatunde Fowler, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), who was recently elected President of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) in Pretoria, South Africa in a remark, said the current paradigm shift in Nigeria’s economy calls for attention and concerted efforts towards the development of other critical sectors of the economy. And without any doubt, the creative industry has opened new frontiers and economic opportunities in terms of wealth creation, knowledge economy, employment generation, local capacity utilization and revenue generation; with huge potential to leapfrog into emerging high-growth economy.
Mr. Fowler who was represented at the occasion by Mr Kola Okwola noted, “That the extent to which an economy is able to grow sustainably and develop depends to a large extent, on its ability to generate tax revenue to finance its expenditure and the efficiency of its tax system.
According to him, the recent re-basing of Nigeria’s economy showed that the entertainment industry contributes over $6 billion to the newly rebased Gross Domestic Product (GDP). According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the entertainment and creative arts industry grew by 8.4 percent in the first quarter of the year. As such, the government is excited and interested in supporting the industry to contribute more because this means more revenue to federal and state governments.
While government appreciates the fact that corporate and individual citizens must fulfill their civic responsibilities, the FIRS boss pointed that upcoming sectors of the economy must be nurtured and encouraged to grow so as to perform competitively on a global scale which is the only way to attract revenue in both local and foreign currencies.
The Executive Chairman Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, Sir Monday John Onyeme called on Nigerians to pay their taxes especially now that oil which is the main revenue source for Nigeria is fast depleting, warning that if care was taking the nation may plunge into a ‘Banana Republic’.
“Those days in the sixties our fathers used to pay their taxes, farmers, traders, artisans and workers they all pay taxes in the sixties. What have gone wrong? That only a worker in an organized companies and civil servants now pay taxes. Time has come for us to change the attitudes. This programme is technology driven with less paper work. And with this new development we will overcome the challenges that derailed us from paying our taxes.
He said the choice of using the entertainment industry to spearhead this initiative was not out of place because they are role models, saying when there’s innovation it will sell fast using entertainment industry as a drive.
He urged the citizens to always appreciate the Government of Delta State led by Dr Ifeanyi Okowa for satisfying the collective needs of Deltans, saying, it’s difficult for any Government to satisfy the individual needs of each citizens.
While emphasing the type of taxes citizens should pay, he noted that it’s very necessary for entertainers to pay their Personal Income Tax, saying, from every events done by entertainers it’s expected of them to pay their taxes from it, he maintained that the Government cannot buy instrument for all entertainers before they are expected to perform their Civic Responsibility ” Payment of Tax is not to punish Citizens but it’s a Civic obligations needed to be performed.”
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa represented by the Mr. Reginald Bayoko, the State Head of Service, commended the organisers for the initiative and called for effective tax system, saying effective tax system is a panacea for the dwindling economy currently facing the nation.
The “Day of Glamour and Civic Responsibility” was one of several events planned by government through FIRS to engage with industry practitioners and chart the best way forward for businesses, individuals, industry and society at large. In other words, the event was an opportunity for industry and government to forge a functioning and enduring partnership for growth and development. The initiative which is in partnership with Domino Information Company Limited (DICL) and supported by Remita, highlighted the importance of civic responsibilities in respect of tax compliance among industry stakeholders for continued viability and growth.
A leading indigenous Information Technology Company (IT), Domino Information Company Limited (DICL) in partnership with FIRS and DBIR also launched a new “channel” or “way” to pay taxes with utmost convenience. The new channel which is a Voice-based Biometric Tax Payment System. It’s a Smart Initiative aimed at fully automating the payment of taxes electronically using Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) phone.
According to the CEO of DICL, Uzochukwu Nduka, “Nigeria must embrace the opportunities offered by technological advancement for sustainable business practices. The new tax payment system offers convenience and flexible tax payments. Anyone can initiate his or her tax payment from anywhere and at anytime of the day. It will, among other things, help simplify the payment of taxes and revenue collection processes of federal and state revenue authorities in Nigeria.”
The stakeholders’ engagement came from the backdrop of the need, to build closer ties between the government and the entertainment industry in Nigeria; for practical synergies to harness the unlimited opportunities in the creative industries for sustainable growth.
The ceremony featured questions and answers by the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria PMAN, Actor Guild of Nigeria as well other stakeholders in entertainment industry.
