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Alexander Okere, Benin
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has denied plans to increase taxes if elected in the September 10 election.
Obaseki, who is also the head of the state’s Economy and Strategy team, however, noted that he intends to expand the tax net in order to capture non-compliant but high income earners.
The APC candidate disclosed this during an interview with The PUNCH in Benin, the state capital, where he said that his administration would create a favourable environment to stimulate economic activities for people to earn more income and generate more revenue for the government
He said, “Taxes are not going to increase. If anything, we want to make our tax system much fairer. Those who have most, who should pay for the rest of those who do not have, are not paying what they should pay.
“In fact, the same people are the ones being asked to pay for the rest of the society. What should happen is that more people in society should come into the tax net so that the tax burden is less on a few people.”
Meanwhile, the Edo State Government has said it has no intention to impose taxes on any religious house of worship for the remaining part of Adams Oshiomhole administration.
The Acting Executive Chairman of the Edo State Internal Revenue Service, Emmanuel Usoh, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, explained that churches, mosques and all other religious houses of worship were categorised as charitable organisations and exempted from paying taxes.
He, however, said that any religious body engaging in any enterprise which employs labour and pays salaries was liable to remit the Pay As You Earn tax of the employee(s) to the relevant authorityý.
ýHe noted that though only 171,000 persons pay taxes to the state government, out of a taxable population of approximately 2.5 million, it would nevertheless not promote any policy capable of endangering the relationship between the government and religious bodies.
The statement read in part, “We wish to emphasise that there is a difference between taxes and other forms of payments, such as levies, rates, fees and fines, as provided for in the national tax policy and the various laws guiding tax regulations in Nigeria; hence, they cannot collectively be referred to as double taxation.
“We advise and appeal to all to refrain from paying heed to misguided rumours being peddled for the purpose of gaining cheap political advancement.”
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Source: Punch News