Most of Nigeria’s public officials are jokers in the way they present their ideas to the public. Often times, it is half-baked, they don’t feel any obligations to explain their plans as to how they plan to lessen the effect of the new plan on the population. The sad part is that, they usually get away with it because theirs is one way radio.
Nigeria is looking for ways to generate more income but they are not willing to do anything differently that will benefit citizens.
Mr. Tunde Fowler, Federal Inland Revenue Service boss is the latest joker by hinting that Nigerians will soon be asked to present their tax certificate if they require a passport. How does that even make any sense?
So the best way to get people to pay taxes is when they intend to leave the country? Most people only get their passport if they intend to travel out of the country otherwise there really is no point wasting money on a piece of booklet.
This man is a joker because if we put the number of Nigerians needing passports in context, it is very small compared to the number of Nigeria adults that the government needs to convince to pay their fair share to taxation.
First of all this statement from Mr Fowler is not accurate – I am not sure which ‘world’ Mr Fowler was referring here. This is the type of rubbish they furnish Nigerians with just because of the few years he spent working/studying in the States, Mr Fowler would have to name that country that requires tax certificate before issuing their citizens travel documents.
Second of all, no, people like this coming with insane proposition such as this don’t work to better Nigeria. If one wants to better Nigeria, it should not be that hard to highlight what the new tax will be used for – recurrent expenditure? I think so too.
He can advise the government to cut spending on luxuries – that is serving Nigeria better.
Given the bottom line is to increase tax revenues, one would have thought the goal should be to increase the number of adult tax payers in the country rather than going after the small unrealistic target.
If Nigerians in a few months have to show tax clearance for overseas travel documents, rest assured that Nigeria passport offices around the country now will start issuing tax certificate at a price – the money will not reach the government, leaving Fowler to pick another target.
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