•Says 95% poor Nigerians exempted or to witness drastic tax cuts
•To tax profit only, not turnover
By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief
The Nigeria Revenue Service, NRS, said it has commenced the implementation of the new tax laws and that it won’t be distracted by the gazetted copy controversy.
Executive Chairman of the NRS, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, in an interview on Arise Television, yesterday, said those behind the controversy were those who wanted the status quo to remain.
His words, “When you talk about controversy, like it happens with change all over the world, because you have certain people who prefer the status quo. You have some people that they just don’t want you to succeed.
“So, all those things are expected and it should not be anything that should distract us. We are focused on the reform. So, if you ask me. We don’t have any controversy whatsoever.
“This reform is about taxing right, not taxing more. We just want to tax right, in fairness, transparency, and then consolidate the whole system in order to simplify and unify the process of revenue administration.
“I don’t want to delve into those rumors. And that is the point I’m making. If we want to run a nation, we need to stick to the rules and make sure that we have verified facts.”
The Chairman said the NRS wanted Nigerians to prosper since that would make its job easier.
According to him, “The relationship between tax administrators and the taxpayers is like that of the vine and vine keeper, because the more prosperous the taxpayer, the better it is for us.
“The government wants to stimulate economic growth, because it is when economy prospers that revenue administration has work to do.”
We ’ll only tax profit, not investment
The NRS boss the government would only tax profit, not turnover, as was the case in the past.
His words, “Like I’ve always explained and quoting Mr. President, that I’m not going to tax poverty. I want to tax prosperity. I’m not going to tax seed. I want to tax the fruit. So, I’m not going just go and face investment. I only want to tax return.
“The only duty that we have, which Mr. president is leading, is removing all the obstacles on the way of businesses.”
MOU with France
On the Memorandum of Understading with France, Dr. Adedeji said it was nothing out-of-place, as according to him, it was on the operations of the NRS.
He said such MoUs were also signed with various other nations, such as the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Panelists who spoke at the programme echoed the concerns of Nigerians, who claimed that the government had not earned the trust of the public, especially as it affects the proceeds of the fuel subsidy removal policy.
In his remarks, Mr. Jide Ologun a social leadership advocate noted that after removing fuel subsidy by the President Bola Tinubu administration, some Nigerians could no longer afford to fuel their cars and that the government failed to provide alternative public transport for the masses.
He said it was important for the government to ensure that the people felt the positive impacts of its policies, without which the trust deficit would widen.
Also contributing, Yemi Adamolekun, Executive Director of Enough is Enough, said the issue of alteration of the passed Tax Bills was poorly managed.
She also said that Nigerians could not see what the huge resources freed by the fuel subsidy removal had been used to do in the interest of the public.
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