Taxation lifeblood of any government, says Ondo gov

The Ondo State Government, in collaboration Joint Tax Board, on Wednesday, began training for some staff of revenue service departments of the six states of the South West on tax audit, investigation, compliance and enforcement.

The training was held in Akure, the state capital, and would take place for three days.

Declaring the training open, the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said the programme was a testament to the commitment of the state governments to enhance revenue generation through efficient tax administration.

He said, “Without mincing words, taxation is the lifeblood of any government, enabling us to fulfil our mandate of providing essential services and infrastructure for the welfare and development of our people. Today’s gathering is not merely a training but a testament to our commitment to enhancing revenue generation through efficient tax administration.

“This training comes at a pivotal time when the global economic landscape is evolving rapidly. As States, we must adapt and strengthen our tax audit, investigation, compliance, and enforcement capabilities to maintain fiscal stability and sustain development initiatives.”

In his remarks, the Secretary of the Joint Tax Board, Segun Adesokan, reiterated the JTB’s mandate to enforce tax compliance in Nigeria. He lauded the team’s efforts in positively shaping the tax landscape across the country.

According to him, the training aimed at enhancing the participants’ tax knowledge and equipping them with skills for effective revenue generation. He encouraged the trainees to collaborate during the sessions to maximize their learning experience.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the Chairman of the Ondo State Internal Revenue Service, Tolu Adegbie, said the gathering was a shared commitment to strengthening the tax audit, investigation, compliance, and enforcement practices, in a bid to ensure that “our revenue systems are robust, efficient, and equitable.”

“The training program is designed to foster knowledge exchange, promote best practices, and equip our tax administrators with the skills needed to navigate the complexities of modern tax compliance. It is through such initiatives that we can build a resilient tax administration framework that supports economic growth and social progress across the South-West states,” Adegbie stated.