‘Tax reform bills ‘ll worsen Nigerians poverty’

The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education, CHRICED has said that the controversial tax reform bills before the National Assembly, would further impoverish Nigerians.

Executive Director of CHRICED, Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi, at a state of the nation briefing in Abuja said the continuous derivation formula for Value Added Tax (VAT) was targeted at diverting the public attention from heinous policies contained in the proposed legislation.

He also commended the Supreme Court for its landmark ruling that rejected the lawsuit brought before it by 16 states governors.

“All the other languages that have been used to decorate the so-called tax reform are to deceive the people that it is meant to revive our economy. What the government is aiming at is to collect more and more money from the people,” Zikirullahi said.

Speaking on the Supreme Court judgment affirming the establishment of the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies, the CHRICED boss said the court did not play to the gallery, but has listened to the voice of reason and the public outcry in dismissing the frivolous lawsuit which lacks merit.

He said that by addressing the root causes of corruption, the government can unlock significant financial resources that would otherwise be lost to corrupt practices, thereby a more sustainable environment.

Zikirullahi also said that a determined approach to tackling corruption is a far more effective strategy for enhancing revenue generation rather than the imposition of taxes, fees and burdensome costs of PMS on the general populace.

He urged the National Assembly to enhance the legal frameworks that government anti-corruption agencies have which he said should involve constitutional integration of agencies, bolstering their operational independence and provision of technical and financial resources to fulfill their responsibilities effectively.

“A determined approach to tackling corruption is a far more effective strategy for enhancing revenue generation rather than the imposition of taxes, fees and burdensome costs of PMS on the general populace.

“By addressing the root causes of corruption, the government can unlock significant financial resources that would otherwise be lost to corrupt practices, thereby ensuring sustainable development,” Zikirullahi said.