Senator Ali Ndume, [APC, Borno South] and the former Chief Whip of the Nigerian senate, says Northern Nigeria deserves respect as an asset to the country, insisting certain aspects of the controversial Tax Reform Bills are unfair to the North.
In a recent statement, Ndume criticized the timing and focus of the bills, saying, “The North was, is, and will never be a parasite or dependent on any region or even the country. We are assets, not liabilities, to Nigeria.”
He said it was mistaken of anyone to thinks the tax reforms only affect the North adversely, noting that they harm all low- and middle-income citizens.
Ndume called for the withdrawal of the tax bills, and for a wider consultations and more stakeholder involvement.
He suggested that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) “should concentrate on expanding the tax net and collecting more. Also, accountability and transparency should be increased.”
“Yes, reform. But even with reforms, you have to prioritize, time it correctly, and ensure the buy-in of Nigerians because this is a democracy. It is the government of the people, for the people, and by the people,” he said.
The senator asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to examine commercial banks more closely. He argued that due to their significant yearly profits, these banks should contribute more taxes than they currently do.
For the Borno senator, the country needs holistic governance reforms over tax reforms, pointing to large portions of the budget going to personnel and overhead costs rather than critical productive areas of the economy.
“Our personnel and overhead expenditure for 2024 is about 50% to 60% of the budget. We are here in November, and 20% of the budget has not been implemented. But if you check the recurrent expenditure, it has already been exhausted.
“So, that means over ₦15 to ₦20 trillion is going into personnel, debt servicing, and recurrent expenditure. We should reform the government, not only the Executive – we need to reform the government holistically,” he explained.
Comment, Like 👍, share this article, and Follow us on our social media handles.
WhatsApp Channel
Telegram Channel
