SWIT organized a 2-day event tagged “SWIT Family Meeting and Leadership Retreat” for all National Officers, State Chapter Coordinators and their Vice aimed at building the capacity of these officers, reviewing/reflecting on what have done so far to plan with a focus for 2024.
It was a successful event. Friday was dedicated to taking reports from Chapters while the Leadership Training was held on Saturday 16th Dec 2023. We had the honour of having our dear President in attendance to deliver a keynote address on the theme: “Making Nigeria’s Tax system more gender-sensitive – the role of SWIT” and thereafter declared the Retreat open.
In the evening, SWIT hosted the President to dinner tagged African night. It was fun, laughter and dancing to African drumming from Our President’s native town in Osun State. SWIT greatly appreciates the honour of hosting the President.
The president of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), said the government’s drive to increase tax to GDP ratio from 10.86 to 18 per cent is a step in the right direction.
President of CITN, Barr. Samuel Olushola Agbeluyi who made this known, however, said the federal government must engender voluntary compliance by toning down wasteful spending on its part. Speaking at the Society of Women in Taxation Retreat held in Abuja on Saturday, Agbeluyi said, “Increasing tax to GDP ratio from 10.86 to 18 per cent is good thinking. We need to engender voluntary compliance. And there is not going to be voluntary compliance when you waste public funds. So, what we are telling the government is, can you tone down excessive spending? Once that is done, Nigerians are great people, they will comply and pay their taxes.”
The senior programme officer, International Budget Partnership, (IBP), Chika Okoh, speaking on the topic “Gender Equality and Taxation” said Nigeria’s tax system should be fair and equitable devoid of discrimination to enable more women to play this statutory role.
She added that Nigeria needs a gendered tax system as it can be a tool for resource redistribution.
The national chairperson of the Society of Women in Taxation (SWIT), Bosede Ikhanoba, in her address stated that the 2023 annual retreat was organised to help build the capacity of National officers, State Chapter coordinators and their vice, to interact and take feedback from the State Chapters on their activities.
“For us to be able to carry out advocacy as part of SWIT objectives, we need to empower ourselves with the right information. And for you to talk to Nigerians about tax matters, you must understand what the law says about the type of tax you should pay, how it should be paid and more.” She thanked the IBP for sponsoring the retreat and also giving SWIT a facilitator for the event.
