Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui Okauru, the executive chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has appealed to the Federal Ministry of Education to fast track the entrenchment of taxation in the nation’s education curriculum.
According to FIRS boss, entrenchment of taxation is not about debate only, but to entrench taxation into the psyche of Nigerian citizens, especially for all students of today and in the future from kindergarten to territorial levels.
Stressing that to entrench the leaning that has occurred through this process, I have one special request that the Federal Ministry of Education introduce taxation as part of the nation’s school curriculum.
Okauru noted that it has been part of FIRS efforts to strike a balance between the implementation of the tax laws and educating the populace (taxpayers) to willingly obey the laws.
She noted that such efforts were not only aimed at ensuring more revenue generation and simplicity in tax administration, but to build a bridge between the old and the younger generation to enhance the culture of voluntary tax compliance.
Said she: “As we have all resolved to volunteer our time, talent and resources to build a new generation of Nigerians who will be tax compliant, we can be assured of a better Nigeria bearing in mind that the younger generations are great assets to the nation’s development.
“This further reinforces the FIRS resolve in partnership with the relevant stakeholders to continue to educate both current and potential taxpayers on their rights and obligations in order to advance the country’s tax administration.’’
Okauru said that debate offers opportunity for the students to propagate a taxpaying culture and a Nigeria where taxation would be the bedrock for sustainable development.
The FIRS boss was later awarded the Grand Matron of the PSDN by the organisers of the debate.
The theme of the competition which earlier held simultaneously at the six geo-political zones of the country is entitled “Encouraging Tax Culture in Nigeria.”
The debate seeks to promote academic excellence and friendship as well as develop the students’ skills to enhance their ability to explore means of dialogue to resolve dispute and differences.
Meanwhile FIRS has sealed off Mirage Hotel, Calabar, believed to be owned by a serving minister.
Solomon Ajimotokin, who led the FIRS enforcement team which sealed off the facility for a while, said that the action was taken over the alleged default in the payment of tax for two years.
The hotel was later reopened after its management issued a cheque of N1 million as part-payment of the amount owed.
Ajimotokin had earlier said that the hotel’s management only produced tax records of payment for 2009 and had refused to pay taxes for 2010 and 2011.
He said that FIRS was working within its mandate to ensure that tax defaulters were not allowed to continue to defraud the federal government.
