The lawmaker representing Borno South in the National Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume, has criticized the recent tax reform bills submitted by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly.
Ndume shared his views during an interview on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
The senator stated that the bill would be “dead on arrival,” urging Tinubu to retract the tax bills as suggested by the National Economic Council (NEC) and the Northern Governors’ Forum.
He argued that Nigerians are not open to discussing or paying additional taxes, especially given the current economic hardship.
Ndume said, “If it goes on like that, I can tell you that it will be dead on arrival. We don’t need to study the bill.”
“The general sentiment is that Nigerians are not willing to talk about or pay any tax now, considering the (economic) situation we are in.”
He added, “Nigerians are willing to pay taxes, but only when they can afford it. Right now, people are struggling to survive. Let people live first before you start asking them for taxes.”
Ndume advised Tinubu to withdraw the bill and allow Nigerians adequate time to study and understand it.
According to him, the bill will not stand without public support.
The lawmaker added, “It would be fair to shut the bill down; it’s the fairest thing to do.”
“What he (Tinubu) needs to do is withdraw the bill, educate Nigerians, and help them understand it. We represent the people, and they have already spoken.”
He emphasized that “The governors and traditional rulers have said that the bill is not favorable. So, the best thing to do is to immediately withdraw it.”
“Right now, what our people are saying is that they don’t want the VAT bill; they don’t even want to hear about it. That is why we are going to make it dead on arrival.”
Investors King reported that the Governors of 19 Northern States, under the Northern Governors’ Forum, recently met with traditional rulers from the region to discuss the Federal Government’s new value-added tax model.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the chairman of the forum, Governor Muhammed Yahaya of Gombe State, expressed strong opposition on behalf of the governors to the derivation-based model for Value-Added Tax (VAT) distribution proposed in President Tinubu’s new tax reform bills.