The Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce has said it will work closely with the Rivers State Tax Justice & Governance Platform to combat the challenges posed by multiple taxation, adding that it will join forces with the group to ensure fiscal reforms are put in place to save and enable businesses to thrive in the state.
President of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Dr Chinyere Nwoga made this assertion when a group called the Rivers State Tax Justice & Governance Platform and its partners – Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Oxfam Nigeria paid her a courtesy call at the PHCCIMA secretariat.
According to her, this very strategic advocacy move has become expedient as multiple taxation has a significant negative effect on the financial performance of businesses, especially SMEs as it affects their profitability, fiscal responsibility and sustained existence.
Dr Nwoga extolled the group for towing this path of honour to save and address business concerns. She assured the group that PHCCIMA will work closely with them, requesting they provide a draft proposal on the mode to achieve this advocacy objective, and make this collaboration more result oriented.
Earlier on, the leader of the delegation, Dr Amaechi Kelechi Justin Ph.D had felicitated with the PHCCIMA boss on her well deserved election as President.
He noted that the prevalence of illegal and multiple taxation has become a clog in the wheel of economic growth, driving social inequality in Rivers State to a whole new level. Dr Kelechi Justin expressed huge confidence that the engagements with PHCCIMA and other stakeholders will be a baseline to strengthen collaborations to ensuring that the trend is nipped in the bud.
Hear him: “We are a coalition of Civil Society Organisations known as the Rivers State Tax Justice and Governance Platform working on the “Power of Voices Partnership, Fair for All project that seeks to promote fair and progressive taxation in Nigeria, through collaborative efforts, including critical stakeholders at different levels of society with focus on the informal sector of the economy.” According to him, this engagement will also enable both groups to find common ground to promote the digitization of Local government revenue administration, accelerate the implementation of the harmonised tax policy framework, ease of doing business policy and the elimination of illegal and multiple taxation in Rivers State