This workshop aims to create a gender-responsive tax system that ensures equitable treatment for all.
By TheInvestigator
A groundbreaking workshop aimed at addressing gender disparities in taxation was held in Calabar. Organized by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) with support from the International Budget Partnership (IBP), the workshop focused on collecting data on the income and tax payments of women and men in the informal sector of Cross River State.
The event, titled “Research Training Workshop for IBP State Project Partners on Data Collection on Income and Taxes of Women and Men in the Informal Sector,” was held at the Monty Suites Hotel.
It brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Commissioner of Commerce, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), journalists, and the President of the Cross River State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (CALCCIMA).
Addressing Systemic Biases
In an opening remark, CISLAC’s Senior Programme Officer, Mr Ayo Omowu emphasized the inherent biases in Nigeria’s tax system that disproportionately affect women.
“Taxation should embody fairness and equity, yet women are often disadvantaged by the current policies and socio-economic norms,” he noted.
This workshop aims to create a gender-responsive tax system that ensures equitable treatment for all.
The workshop’s primary objectives included: understanding the gendered impacts of tax policies in Cross River State; assessing the progressivity and regressivity of taxes on women in the informal sector; generating updates on the implementation of consolidated revenue and presumptive tax laws; and developing and refining data collection tools for accurate, gender-disaggregated data.
Mrs Abigail Duke Orok, the state Commissioner for Commerce reiterated the commitment of her principal, Senator Bassey Edet Otu to weeding out elements clogging the smooth swing of the tax wheel.
She revealed that plans are in top gear to build a Calabar Modern Market as well as decongest the overcrowded Watt market.
The Commissioner employed all and sundry to have trust in the “People’s First” administration in its quest to make Cross River economically viable.
The first day began with a series of discussions on the current state of tax practices in Cross River State. Experts from the African Centre for Tax and Governance (ACTG) led sessions on fair and unfair tax practices, highlighting the changes and existing gaps.
Participants engaged in a comprehensive review of the research objectives and design, focusing on the laws, businesses, and markets involved.
The day concluded with role-playing and mock data collection exercises to ensure quality and genuine data collection.
The second day was dedicated to refining the data collection tools and training data enumerators.
Practical sessions on data collection simulations were conducted to prepare participants for real-world data gathering.
The day wrapped up with a Q&A session, followed by closing remarks and a discussion on the next steps.
The data collection exercise was carried out in Taraba, Cross River, Kano states and FCT.
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