Many Federal Government workers have continued to express concern about the high-income taxes that are deducted from their salaries monthly through the Pay As You Earn model.
The civil servants, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja, said that it was frustrating given the country’s current economic situation.
They demanded an immediate reduction in the PAYE tax deducted from their monthly salaries.
They said that the huge amount of tax deducted from their monthly salaries had reduced their purchasing power going to the increasing price of goods and services.
A civil servant, Mrs Ese Williams, urged the Federal Government to revisit the issue of income tax, which had placed a huge burden on the finances of civil servants.
She said that the new minimum wage had not substantially improved the monthly earnings of government workers, yet the taxes remain high.
‘Imagine a level 15 officer with a monthly salary of less than N400,000 paying almost about N60,000 tax. It is alarming’, she said.
Mr Ibrahim Abbas complained that the policies of the Federal Government appeared to be designed against federal civil servants.
Abbas urged the federal government to urgently revisit the issue of taxes that the civil servants were made to pay and also initiate policies to improve their welfare.
‘I do not even see any reason to justify the high tax regime that we are subjected to in recent times.
While we were expecting improvement in our welfare, every policy, from the removal of fuel subsidy to floating of the Naira appears to be against government workers.
‘The Federal Government will need to take a second look on this issue of high taxes, ‘he said.
Mr Aliu Sule complained that there was no infrastructure on the ground to justify the huge taxes being deducted from the salaries of civil servants.
‘We still provide most necessities for ourselves. From security to electricity and water, we devise ways to provide all these for ourselves, so there is no justification to increase our taxes, he said.
The President, African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, called for greater accountability and transparency in the management of national resources.
Speaking recently at a retreat of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa, Adesina urged the Federal Government to be more responsive to the needs of the people.
According to him, paying taxes while having to dig your wells, provide generators for your house, and build roads to your home is a thing of concern.
He said that national resources belonged to the people and should be managed transparently and responsibly by the government.
‘Citizens must uphold their responsibilities, but governments must be held accountable.
‘There must be transparency, public property, accountability, and responsiveness in the way these resources are used to transform the society.
‘In Scandinavian countries, when people pay taxes, there is a responsibility on the part of governments to provide what society needs,’he said.
