Northern Govs Reject Proposed Amendment Of Tax Reform Bill

Northern Governors Forum yesterday rejected the proposed amendment of the Tax Reform Bill that is before the National Assembly.

In a communiqué issued after a meeting with the Northern States Council of Emirs and Chiefs in Kaduna, the Chairman of the Forum and Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, said the contents of the Bill are against the interests of the North and other sub-nationals, especially the proposed amendment to the distribution of Value Added Tax (VAT) to Derivation based Model.

The forum said this is because companies remit VAT using the location of their headquarters and tax office and not where the services and goods are consumed.

It said: “Given the foregoing, the forum unanimously rejects the proposed Tax Amendments and calls on members of the National Assembly to oppose any bill that can jeopardise the well-being of our people.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Northern Governor’s Forum is not averse to any policies or programmes that will ensure the growth and development of the Country. However, the Forum calls for equity and fairness in the implementation of all national policies and programmes to ensure that no geopolitical zone is short-changed or marginalised.”

The Forum called on the Federal Government and relevant agencies to urgently address the current electricity power blackout affecting most of the Northern States due to the vandalisation of electricity transmission infrastructure.

“This matter not only underscores the vulnerability of critical infrastructure but also the need to build additional transmission lines and diversify our energy supply to better connect our region and improve our energy resilience.

“Forum agrees that Northern Nigeria holds immense agricultural potential, which, if fully harnessed, can significantly alleviate hunger and boost economic growth. To achieve this, we resolved to provide adequate support to our farmers, including access to financing, modern farming techniques and infrastructure such as roads and irrigation systems.

“Agriculture should not only be seen as a means to feed our people but also as a catalyst for industrialisation and job creation across the region. That can be achieved through reindustrialisation of the North, especially by reviving the textile value chain and development of other agro-allied industries,” it said.

The Forum agreed to support and key in to any initiative aimed at addressing the challenges of out-of-schoolchildren and improving educational outcomes in the sub-region.

“On the present economic hardship affecting the Country, the Forum is appealing to all citizens to remain calm, as the states and Federal Government are working hard to implement measures that will cushion the effects of the hardship.

“Forum emphasises that traditional institutions are critical in the quest for lasting peace and security in the region. Forum also acknowledged their commitment in bridging the gap between the government and the people.

“We advocate for increased roles for the traditional institutions to maximise cooperation with security agencies in the fight against kidnap for ransom, banditry, cattle rustling, communal clashes, farmers/herder clashes and other forms of criminality.

“We acknowledge the recent gains made against criminals, especially eliminating bandits and terror leaders. However, we resolved to sustain these gains to ensure lasting peace and stability in the subregion.

“We commend the Federal Government and security agencies for their commitment to ensuring our communities are safe and secure. Particularly we commend the untiring commitment of the Chief of Defence Staff General C. J Musa whose professionalism and innovative approach have made a difference in the security architecture of the Country at large.

Nevertheless, more must be done to address pockets of challenges in the Northern Region.” The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who also attended the meeting, briefed the governors on efforts by the military to tackle banditry, terrorism and other security challenges bedeviling the Northern region.