The Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioner’s Forum, a coalition of media professionals from Northern Nigeria, has expressed strong reservations about the proposed Value Added Tax (VAT) bill currently under consideration by the National Assembly.
In a press statement issued by its Chairman, Abdullahi Yelwa on Tuesday, the Forum raised concerns over several provisions of the bill, describing them as detrimental to the interests of the Northern region and counterproductive to Nigeria’s overall economic development.
While acknowledging the potential of the bill to generate much-needed resources for national development, the Forum criticized the injection of ethnic and regional sentiments into the debate. It noted that supporters of the bill had unfairly portrayed the legitimate concerns raised by the Northern Governors’ Forum and the National Economic Council as politically or ethnically motivated.
“The North, like any part of the country, has the right to comment on public policies, particularly those it considers injurious to its survival,” the statement read, adding that the bill’s promoters had shown a lack of sensitivity to the concerns of economically disadvantaged regions, particularly the North.
The Forum pointed two major issues with the proposed VAT bill:
- Inheritance Tax: Provisions imposing taxes on inheritance funds were flagged as being contrary to the religious doctrines and cultural norms prevalent in the North.
- Revenue Distribution: The Forum decried the proposed formula for distributing VAT revenue among states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), calling it unjust and likely to deepen economic disparities between the North and other regions.
The Forum also criticized the Tax Reform Committee’s last-minute efforts to engage stakeholders, describing it as a “fire brigade approach” that failed to address the mistrust and suspicion generated by the bill.
In light of these concerns, the Forum called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to withdraw the VAT bill and initiate a more inclusive consultation process with stakeholders. According to the Forum’s Chairman, Abdullahi Yelwa (Ajiyan Yauri), such a move would help craft a VAT regime that is equitable and sensitive to the unique needs of all regions, including the North.
“This approach will not only promote national unity and cohesion but also ensure that the VAT regime is fair, equitable, and beneficial to all Nigerians,” Yelwa stated.
The statement comes amid growing public and political discourse on the implications of the VAT bill, with stakeholders from various regions offering divergent views on its provisions and potential impact.
