Jonathan stated this at the formal flag-off of the National Tax Policy (NTP) and the Unique Tax Identification Number (UTIN) at the State House.
The flag-off of the two projects preceded the National Economic Council meeting, which is statutorily chaired by the Vice President with all State Governors in attendance.
The President noted that many Nigerians, particularly the highly placed, do not pay tax.
He said the situation was more worrisome because tax defaulters were those in the vanguard of criticising government officials of misuse of public funds.
Jonathan said the National Tax Policy and the Unique Tax Identification Number were revolutionary tools for tax administration that would expand the nation’s tax base to ensure that every eligible Nigerians pay tax.
He said the policies would lay the foundation for a concrete transformation of the Nigeria’s tax system and ensure its conformity to global best practices.
The President urged Nigerians to see themselves as custodians of the tax they paid.
`Overall, what we seek to achieve with the introduction of the national tax policy is to have a nation and a people who see taxation as a partnership with government.
“Of course in this country, most of the social critics who come on television and radio stations and talk in the newspapers don’t pay tax.
“If at all because they want to buy land or one thing or the other and the governors insist they must pay tax, they undervalue themselves.
“Somebody will be travelling abroad almost every month, travel first class but the tax he will pay is not up to the tax of a Grade level four officer pays in government.
“In other countries, those are criminal offences, but here, such people are celebrated as heroes.
“We want to create a participatory system of taxation where the tax payers and other stakeholders all see that they all have equal stakes in the tax system.
“We want to create an economy that is self sufficient and does not depend wholly on resource wealth to bring development to the people.
“Over and above all, we want to institutionalise a tax culture among Nigerians such that we see ourselves as custodians of the tax system and our commonwealth.’’
Jonathan commended the Ministry of Finance, the state governments, and the Joint Tax Board for their collaborative efforts on the project.
He also commended the Federal Inland Revenue and its chief executive, who doubles as the Chairman of the Joint Tax Board, Mrs Ifueko Omoigui-Okaro, for overseeing the projects to fruition.
Earlier in her remarks, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said it was the first time Nigeria would have a formal policy direction for taxation.
She said that the National Tax Policy was conceived when she was a Minister of Finance under President Olusegun Obasanjo administration.
According to her , the Tax Identification Number is a nationwide electronic database system for the registration and storage of data of tax payers in the country.
Okonjo-Iweala added that the revolutionary system has the potential of putting Nigeria’s tax system at par with the most developed system.
The minister noted that the new tax policies demonstrated the commitment of the Jonathan’s administration to socio-economic transformation of the country in all sectors of the economy.
The President, Vice President Namadi Sambo and the Chairman of Governors Forum and Rivers Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, officially registered at the event and were given their tax identification numbers.
Governors Peter Obi of Anambra, Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Idris Wada of Kogi Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun were also presented with their tax Identity card by the President.
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I wonder if he would be saying the same thing if wasn't president. Is he trying trying to tell us he did not avoid tax before he became president. Even as president, I am sure he still doesn't pay his tax correctly.
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