CSOs Urge Govt To Initiate Incentives For Coys In Nigeria

Country Manager, Global Rights, Mr Edosa Oviawe has said there is a need for the government to drive incentives for companies operating in Nigeria to make donations to the nonprofit sector

Oviawe, who is also the Chairman, Steering Committee on Civil Society Regulatory Environment, said this on Wednesday in Abuja at the first national conference on civil society operational environment in Nigeria.

“There is a need for the government to drive incentives for companies operating in Nigeria to make donations to the nonprofit sector.

“The donations are to be deducted from the company’s tax liability as stipulated by the Company Income Tax Regulation,’’ he said.

According to him, part of the responsibility of regulators was to ensure civil society organisation (CSOs) have access to needed information on existing guidelines and obligations of the non-profit sector.

He said that such would ensure total compliance with such regulations.

“It is therefore imperative for the regulators to constantly engage the CSOs sector with a view to providing updates

“Also, providing needed assistance in compliance with the seemingly multiple regulations including complying with the Financial Reporting Council,’’ Oviawe said.

He advocated the need to address the issue of multiple reporting on CSOs by ensuring uniform reporting to the regulatory bodies.

Oviawe said that CSOs in Nigeria were currently burdened with multiple regulatory laws and some of such laws have ”very insidious provisions that tend to stifle the CSOs’ operational environment.

“CSOs in Nigeria have always been regulated, but recently introduced regulations such as CAMA and the proposed NGO regulation bill have provisions that cast doubt on the intentions of the government.