Peter Oti, Special Adviser to the Cross River State governor on Budget Implementation and Monitoring, has revealed that the state government made a whooping N350 million from the 2013 Christmas Festival. Oti was speaking while fielding questions from a cross-section of participants at the 2014 CRS Budget Analysis, which he presented.
He submitted that, those who frown at government’s investment in the festival need to understand that the Liyel Imoke administration was proactive and looking beyond an oil economy, pointing further that the gains the state will make in this proactive approach will in the future etch her name in the sands of time.
On the aggressive tax posture of the Imoke administration, Oti told the gathering that it was “unfortunate that most people doing business in the state refuse to voluntarily pay tax. When the tax now accumulates and we approach to collect same, they now react negatively and want to call government all sorts of names. I think this is unfair. If you are doing business in CR, your tax is a civic responsibility, an obligation that you must fulfill so that government on her part will be challenged to deliver on her promises”.
For CR’s N30.9 billion internally generated revenue target to be met, Oti appealed to the public to see tax payment as their contribution to turning around the fortunes of Cross River State for the better and hoped that this appeal will further strengthen the collective resolve to make the state, a reference point for others.
Cross River State plans to spend N176.3 billion in the 2014 fiscal year.
What did they spend on the festival? Let’s dare to be transparent on just this.