From Tony Osauzo, Benin
The Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), yesterday, commended the steps so far taken by the government of President Bola Tinubu in the fiscal and tax reforms, saying in the long run, the initiative would free resources for the ordinary people.
Its president, Dr. James Neminebor, gave the commendation in Benin City at the fourth session of the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) in Benin City.
“The new government has been very pragmatic, it is like they know what they are doing he (The President) has just put up a committee, a committee that will lead the fiscal policy of the administration and incidentally all the financially involved professional bodies are in that committee; ICAN is a member, ANAN is a member, CITN is a member and myself, I am a member of that committee.
“We are articulating what the fiscal policy of this administration will be and of course, the tax reforms, because if we change the fiscal policy and the tax reform will bring some relief to the ordinary person that is why the government is there, government is not for itself, it is for the people.”
On the essence of the MCPD, he said it was to update members of ANAN on modern techniques and standards in accounting so that they can produce the needed and relevant data for government and private organisations to plan.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the programme, Chief Executive Officer of ANAN, Dr. Kayode Fasua, called on ANAN and all other financial bodies to be involved in the fight against fraud in the country.
“The issue of fraud in Nigeria is not the job of the gate keeper alone, it is something that is endemic that all of us must know that many people perpetuate what is fraudulent without even realizing that it is fraudulent because it has become a part of us that is why there is need for that continuous sensitisation which we give at our various fora which we give also to the government.
“At the end of this programme, there will be a communiqué that we will send to the government and of course, the EFCC, ICPC . Some people have analysed that they are not doing anything. I believe that if they are not there, things would have been worse than what they are today.”
So, fraud in Nigeria is something that will take a national reorientation continuously until we get it”, he said.
Edo State chairman of ANAN, Austin Odigie, said the training is to update the knowledge gap of members “in contemporary issues as they affect the accountancy profession”.