TinT Trains Kano Women Leaders in Informal Sector on Tax Rights, Accountability

By Mustapha Salisu

In an effort to empower women in Kano State’s informal sector, a Civil Society Organization, Transparency and Accountability in Totality (TinT – Follow Taxes), has organized a two-day “Training of Trainers” (ToT) workshop for women leaders of market and commodity associations across the state.

Held from May 13 to 14, 2024, at R&K Hotel in Kano, PRIME TIME NEWS reports that the training focused on enhancing participants’ understanding of tax rights, obligations, and basic financial record-keeping. It specifically targeted leaders of women-led business clusters, with the goal of amplifying knowledge at the grassroots level.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the training, Haliru Ahmad Khalifa, Executive Director of TinT, explained that the selected participants are expected to step down the training to at least 2,000 women within their clusters over the next three months.

“What we’ve done is bring together women, particularly from the informal sector, and train them not just on their rights and obligations around taxation, but also on how to keep records and identify mechanisms to challenge unfair practices,” Khalifa said.

Supported by the International Budget Partnership (IBP) and Follow Taxes, He noted that the initiative also seeks to address issues of exploitation by tax agents and promote awareness about existing grievance redress mechanisms.

“The training introduced participants to platforms for engaging government officials, verifying tax demands, and filing complaints,” he added, emphasizing the need for participants to continue the sensitization within their communities.

Also speaking to newsmen, Abdussalam Mukhtar Ahmad, Head of Taxpayer Services at the Kano Internal Revenue Service (KIRS), highlighted recent efforts to simplify tax processes through technology.

“Taxpayers can now pay their taxes from the comfort of their homes using their mobile phones through the e-Tax platform. This has significantly reduced the number of complaints from taxpayers,” he noted.

Ahmad encouraged the women leaders to raise awareness within their networks, particularly on tax compliance and how to navigate the payment process. For rural dwellers, he recommended utilizing nearby business centres to access the platform, revealing that plans are underway to engage service providers to extend digital tax services to underserved communities.

One of the participants, Barrister Zainab, Founder of Illegal Hope, described the workshop as productive, engaging, and impactful.

“Unlike other conferences I’ve attended, this workshop stood out for its interactive sessions and the innovative ideas introduced, especially the automation of tax payments,” she said.

Zainab emphasized the importance of extending the training’s impact to local entrepreneurs and expressed her commitment to promoting awareness of the new tax system.