Tuesday, December 03, 2024 - The Presidency has dismissed claims that the proposed tax reform bills before the National Assembly would impoverish northern Nigeria and would only benefit Lagos and Rivers states.
In a statement released on Monday, December 2, presidential
spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, said the reforms aim to improve the quality of life
for all Nigerians, particularly the disadvantaged, and streamline tax
administration to foster a better business environment.
The statement followed concerns raised by Borno State governor, Babagana
Zulum, who claimed that the proposed Value Added Tax (VAT) sharing model will
only favour states like Lagos and Rivers states. Zulum expressed this while
speaking on Channels TV over the weekend.
Reacting to his position, Onanuga described such reactions as unfounded
and based on misinformation.
“The tax reform bills will not make Lagos or Rivers states more affluent
than others, nor will they impoverish any region,” Onanuga stated, urging
Nigerians to reject attempts to polarise the nation over the bills.
He clarified that the bills do not propose scrapping agencies like the
Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), the National Agency for Science and
Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), or the National Information Technology
Development Agency (NITDA).
He said these agencies will continue to operate and receive funding
through budgetary allocations.
The spokesperson added that President Bola Tinubu’s tax and fiscal
policy reforms are intended to simplify tax collection, alleviate the burden on
businesses, and support national development.
Meanwhile, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu
Dogara, has called on Northern leaders to approach the ongoing tax reform bills
before the National Assembly with pragmatism rather than sentiments.
Speaking during a Channels Television town hall on the reforms in Abuja
on Monday, Dogara emphasised the need for leadership that prioritises the
region’s future development over ethnic or religious biases.
“We Northern leaders should remove the cap of ethnicity and religious
sentiments and put on the cap of leadership to face the reality, which the
bills will bring,” Dogara stated.
He criticised senators who claimed insufficient consultation on the
bills, questioning their own practices in lawmaking.
“How many people do they consult when making laws? Some state laws are
written in the living rooms of governors,” he said, dismissing arguments that
the bills’ popularity is more important than its impact.
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