Social Service Expert Backs Tax Reform Suspension, Proposes Revenue Alternatives

A public commentator and Head of the Social Service Department at Kaduna Polytechnic, Dr Jafar Lawal, has urged the Federal Government to explore alternative methods of generating revenue.  

Dr Lawal made this call during a telephone conversation with Radio Now’s Buhari Abubakar.  He commended the National Assembly’s decision to review the Tax reform bill.

“Well, that is obvious, the obvious thing to do, actually, for their own good and for the good of the country, because the issue on tax reform is highly fundamental on touching the lives of Nigerians and the Nigerian economy itself, because already the economy is overheated. We have hyperinflation, living conditions of the masses has been eroded to the minimal level, minimal point. So introducing a review on tax, introducing a new tax regime on the Nigerian people, it would be terrible.Obviously the Senate or whoever in government is, they know how controversial the issue is, and how reasonable and the Nigerian masses will oppose it entirely.”

He spoke to the opposition of some governors to the tax reform bill.

“Well, definitely they have to do it, because the governors are against it, or the majority of them, they are against it, because they know obviously it will erode what the governors are even getting as their federal allocation, because most of the tax will go to where the headquarters of businesses are situated, which mostly are situated in Lagos, Lagos and Patakot. So definitely the governors will oppose it seriously, they have to.”

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Dr. Jafar Lawal called on the government to shore up the trust of the citizenry.

“Well, obviously they have to do reorientation of the Nigerian society on confidence of the governance, the entire governance system in Nigeria, because most people don’t have trust on how the government is saving money or the tax itself, because they know for quite a long time people may pay tax, but they may not know where the tax are going.”