The purpose of the Platform was to ensure taxes work for the masses. Consigning advocacy, CSOs shared their experiences. Sebastian Kpalap coordinator of Citizens Voice Initiative (CVI) talked about his encounter with the motor park people in Ahoada Local Government Area of Rivers State, having difficulty in reaching their council consigning tax payments until his encounter with them. The market women at the Garri market in borikiri, Port Harcourt on the same issue of multiple taxations.was raised alongside the issue of gender sensitivity in the market as men are not excluded because they also have shops in the market and there is no gender equality. Nancy Iheduru of the Center for Creative Development Strategies (CCDS) shared an outcome from her gender advocacy in Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, ministry of local government affairs, and African women lawyers association (AWLA), where gender desks have been provided for women to report issues of violence and harassment as the police have been reluctant. Men were not left out as they were also involved in meetings and advocacy visits on gender issues. The advocacy helped women in the areas listed above to have a voice and speak out about their issues. Some outcomes are the existing relationship with organized private sectors, the knowledge of multi-taxation, awareness of the issues of taxation, conducting training on taxation, and the introduction of a harmonized digitalized system to the local government council. Marketers are now organized on their own and can carry out advocacy for themselves. The committee has been at the forefront of issues of taxation. The halt of harassment of oil mill marketers every Wednesday and the creation of social media campaigns.
Some challenges were listed during the meeting by Pius Dukor of the Pius Dukor Foundation; the global economic meltdown, and difficulty in reaching the government on issues of accountability and transparency.
A question was asked by Pastor Philip Kalio of SISDEV about an effective approach to be used in reaching the government.
Some of the answers raised by the committee members include; Letter writing, radio programs, and public embarrassment. It was concluded that there is a need to change strategy by using the masses as the lead to demand for change. The issue of hoodlums being sponsored by politicians was raised as that is the reason why those hoodlums don’t get arrested after harassing marketers for illegal taxation.
Mr. Kelechi Amaechi coordinator of Rivers state tax justice committee concluded the meeting with the suggestion of the need for basic capacity-building training to improve Platform members’ knowledge of taxation. A strategy was brought up regarding how to access the authorities, by inviting them to radio programs to enlighten the masses on the need to pay taxes and that opportunity will be used to shine the light on double taxation and other issues people go through with taxes in Rivers State.
The Platform members were advised to build on their already existing outputs and to apply for funds from an alliance platform which would be sent to the group chat.
At the end of the meeting, some platform members visited the market women at Garri Market in borikiri, Port Harcourt to discuss tax-related issues in the market.
