Private sector does not pay enough tax as civil servants – Kwara SDP candidate

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The Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Hakeem Oladimeji Lawal, has reaffirmed his commitment to improving the state’s fiscal position if elected in 2023.

Lawal, who spoke in an interactive session with media executives and journalists in Ilorin, the state capital, explained that the dynamics of current realities demanded that things be done differently to positively affect the people’s lives.

While unveiling his three-point agenda of infrastructure development, industrialization and human capital development, the former governor’s son said the tripod would be the main foundation on which he intends to build his administration.

He said, “In order to ensure a strong financial foundation for the state, our revenue target is around N10 billion from the state’s current monthly IGR of N2 billion.

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“What our administration would do is close all loopholes, curtail the activities of revenue generation consultants and motivate Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS) staff. This will help the state generate more revenue, as the consultants will only take a percentage of the requirements they collect. We will also improve staff welfare and reward excellent performance by civil servants.

“And when it comes to taxation, we realized that every civil servant is taxed, but the private sector is not taxed enough. Why? This needs to be corrected.

Regarding education and human capital development, Lawal said that if elected, his administration would revive technical schools and colleges.

He added: “Our people can hardly compete when it comes to technical know-how. If you look at the construction industry for example, many of the professionals competing there come from places like Benin Republic, Togo, and Ghana.

“For us to move forward and regain past glory, we first need to start reassessing ourselves and putting the same modules in place in these areas. It has worked for us in the past and needs to work for us again.

Also speaking at the event, Architect Kale Belgore, Director General (Operations) of the SDP Campaign Council, stressed that the party remains the only credible alternative for the Kwarans under the current circumstances.

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