Delta state government has been urged to create more awareness on its mantra, “MORE Agenda” by promoting it among the citizens.
Victor Kalu, the managing director and chief executive officer of Zend, made the appeal recently in an interview with pointnews247 in Lagos state.
The acronym “MORE” means meaningful development, opportunity for all,realistic reforms, enhanced peace, and security.
According to kalu, creating more awareness on MORE will aid better understanding and corresponding support from the citizens to the government, which would bring about speedy actualization of the vision.
He posited that people always misunderstand taxation and the benefits of paying taxes” if you have ran a busines for a long time, you will know that the success of a business depends largely on the external facttors in the environment that you operate.
“The success of a business has very little to do with e your expertise.” How many people are crying now that businesses are crying now? Inflation is high,
” What tax does is that it gives government money to make the environment to do business conducive for you to make money.
“The environment that everyone is japaing,tax compliance is as high as 90 pecent,everybody pays tax,
as a matter of fact, husband and wife will sit together to do their taxes, and tax evasion is a serious crime. “
Our country is a country made up largely of the informal sector,65 or 77 percent of whatever happens in the economy happens in the informal sector.in Nigeria, less than 15pecent of people pay their taxes so a lot of people are not paying so how do you want the government to develop?.
For kalu, the journey so far has been positive and all he is keen about,is improving on what is ongoing expressing the belief that the delta state government can assist them in their service to the citizens by helping to remind the citizens of their role by contributing to the state’s Internally Generated Revenue
The zend CEO stated that there is a need for the citizens to know the extent of government’s seriousness, adding that with the needed awareness created, the citizens will be motivated and inspired to contribute their quota.
“Everybody needs to know that the government is serious,people need to know the extent that the government wants to go.”
“Talking about the N2-12B, everybody needs to know that, this is what the government wants to achieve and how government wants to do it, what the government intends to and what does the government intends to do with it? It is development.”
“Roads, education, business environment, empowerment,market development, electricity
“Asaba, for instance, it has one of the biggest thriving entertainment industry and hospitality market,I never knew until I went to Asaba. You will be shocked, and that industry thrives in the night
Kalu pointed out that the delta state government needs to invest in that industry by encouraging those in that business to blossom further, adding that such investment requires money.
Kalu further said their slogan was coined to promote the MORE agenda, which he stated as “Accelerating the MORE Agenda,” adding that it is exactly what their bill board projects.
The zend CEO also advised the citizens to elevate their minds by not thinking less of themselves especially those in the informal sector urging them to cultivate the habit of saving from their little earnings and would eventually make huge savings.
He also wants the citizens of delta state to key into the government’s MORE Agenda for the expected development to take place.
He also advised the government should not neglet the informal sector”As I said today,British Council in 2010 said Nigeria’s population was going to be its new crude oil and that Nigeria ‘s population sits on the biggest informal sector in Africa i there say,in the emerging economy,it should be an advantage to us so, the government should empower and partner the informal sector and let the informal sector contribute to economic development through streamline and better partnership.
The MD/CEO of Zend was
Appointed on the 1st of January 2024 by the Delta State government works with the state board of Internal Revenue Service to collect Tax, revenue from the informal sector revenue in oshimili South and oshimili North Local Government, the state capital and the environs.