BENCCIMA frowns at Edo’s ‘name and shame’ tax enforcement plan

Benin Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BENCCIMA) has expressed dissatisfaction over the “name-andshame campaign” put in place by the Edo State government to deepen tax compliance.

It opined that the tax enforcement drive was capable of bringing more hardship given the unprecedented setbacks caused by COVID-19 on the economy and the alarming rate of poverty in the country.

Speaking in an interview with Businessday in Benin City, Aina Omo-ojeonu, president of BENCCIMA appealed to the government to reconsider it and initiate a businessfriendly way in meeting tax obligations.

Unlike Nigeria, the BENCCIMA president said in other countries, there are tax holidays in place to relieve those people who couldn’t afford to pay tax.

Omo- Ojeonu recommended that the “government should inform businesses about they owe, and give them stipulated time to pay. If they don’t pay within the period, then there will be a penalty.

“The economic condition of the country is so bad. The campaign will not bring money into the state when there is no money earned. Are they asking if the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMES) are making profit? Is it not supposed to be tax on profit?