Govt to tap ICAN’s expertise for economic growth

President Bola Tinubu has assured that his administration is committed to learn from the expertise of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) for a better Nigeria.

Represented by the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adekola, Tinubu explained that the government would continue to engage in robust discussion with the body on transformative policies that will enhance inclusive development.

The president gave the assurance while declaring open the 59th yearly conference of ICAN in Abuja.

He said: “Inclusivity is a moral necessity, accountants should be able to play a role in inclusive development for the benefit of the nation.”

In his opening address, the President of the ICAN, Dr. Innocent Ewueka, urged the Federal Government to undertake macroeconomic and fiscal reforms to overcome the myriads challenges of poor infrastructure, weak and ineffective institutions, poor public financial management system, poor health delivery that have bedeviled the nation’s today.

Ewueka said the theme of the conference, “Nigeria, importance for Inclusive Development,” was carefully chosen because development without inclusiveness is not development in any guise.

According to him, the country’s economic reforms should lead to economic development that will create jobs, encourage industrial growth, massive growth in health, education, agriculture, increased industrialization among others for the benefit of the generality of Nigerians.

He explained that the various discussions at the 59th ICAN conference, 2023 is focusing more on issues that will help the institute to come up with viable recommendations that will reshape the government’s way of doing things with the view of reshaping the economy for full inclusiveness.

He assured that the institute will no longer be silent to threat as it vows to speak out in line with its mandate as accountants, “we have already constituted the ICAN accountability index, we shall continue on this trajectory, we are here to examine the issues of inclusiveness in developing the economy, only accountants can make inclusive economic development happen.”

Earlier in his message, the Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, said all hands must be on deck to make the society work.

“People could use the freedom of Information (FOI) platform to demand accountability, good governance from government at all levels, it is not right for the people to continue to complain of bad leadership without participating in governance or fold their arms without asking questions, this is the way to go, Nigerians from all walks of life must rise up to demand for good governance, ask questions, it’s the duty of all of us," he noted.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, said people are living in poverty unfortunately because of poor health, poor living standards, poor nutrition and lack of jobs, a situation he explained, that the current administration of President Tinubu is determined to tackle headlong.

“Today, it’s not only a problem of tax collections for expenditures but more importantly, how we use the tax collected for the growth of the nation,” he stated.

He listed quick solutions to the current economic woes to include, collect tax better, budget better, spend better, manage better and report better because the government must be made to be accountable to the people.