The Federal House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government and relevant bodeis to be sensitive to the plight of the citizens by reviewing current tax policies to prevent the imposition of multiple taxes, particularly on essential goods and services in the country.
The Federal House of representatives also instructed its Committees on Finance and Federal Inland Revenue Service within the period of three weeks to conduct a thorough review of existing tax laws and policies to streamline tax collection processes and eliminate redundancy or over taxation that contribute to the financial burden on Nigerian citizens to identify loop holes of double taxation at all facets to provide relief to citizens without jeopardizing government revenue targets.
The Federal House of Representatives in its resolutions further tells the Federal Government of Nigeria to consider alternative revenue generation strategies such as widening the tax net to capture more high-income earners, strengthening enforcement of existing tax laws, and plugging leakages in the system; exploring measures to increase export of cash crops and agricultural produce.
The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion titled “Need for Government Sensitivity to the Plight of the Masses and the Call to Refrain from Shifting Economic Burden through Unnecessary and Multiple Taxation” moved by Hon. Peter Aniekwe, the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda and three others during plenary in Abuja.
Moving the motion, Hon. Aniekwe said that the current economic situation of the country, characterized by rising inflation, unemployment, and the increasing cost of living has led to widespread hardship for the masses.
According to him, the imposition of multiple taxes, levies, and charges at various levels of government only serves to exacerbate the financial strain on citizens, particularly those in low-income brackets, many of whom are already struggling to meet basic needs such as food, healthcare, housing, and education.
He explained that the government’s primary responsibility is to alleviate the economic challenges faced by the masses, ensuring policies that promote economic development, social welfare, and prosperity for all citizens.He further said that the introduction of additional and sometimes unnecessary taxes, including consumption taxes, service taxes, and levies on essential goods and services, places an undue burden on the masses, further widening the inequality gap.
“Mindful that while taxation is necessary for government revenue, a balance must be struck between revenue generation and the economic well-being of citizens, particularly at a time when many families and businesses are still recovering from the economic impact of global and local challenges.
“Convinced that there are alternative measures that can be taken to increase government revenue without overburdening the masses, such as expanding the tax base, improving tax administration, reducing government waste, and curbing corruption.
The Federal House of Representatives also in its resolutions direct the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and other relevant agencies to embark on an awareness campaign to educate the public on their tax rights and responsibilities, and to report any cases of exploitation or unjust taxation to the ombudsman;
They also called for the immediate suspension of any new tax initiatives that disproportionately affect the low-income population until a comprehensive review of their impact is conducted.
Further mandated the Committee on Legislative Compliance to oversee the manifestation of the resolutions made by the house.
