The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, has said the National Assembly will conduct open debate on the President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform bills before it for Nigerians’ input.
Adaramodu, who said the majority of those criticising the bills in the media had not seen it and acting based on the belief that anything tax was to place a burden on people, said, “I don’t see anything retrogressive in the tax reform bills.”
The senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District spoke to journalists at his Ilawe Ekiti hometown on Saturday evening after the Ilawe Unity Day celebration and launch of N500m support fund for the commencement of operation of the teaching hospital annex in the community.
Criticisms had trailed the tax reform bills forwarded to the National Assembly by the Presidency.
But Adaramodu said, “Have those criticising the tax reform bill seen them? A tax reform bill that is going to exclude low-income earners from paying, are you going to say that that one is retrogressive? A tax reform bill that is going to make sure that there is no double or multiple taxation, I don’t see anything that is retrogressive about the tax reform bills.
“Let Nigerians wait, we are going to conduct an open debate about it. We will call public hearing in the National Assembly and everybody is free to come there to present his or her own view. Then aggregate of those views is going to be what the National Assembly will consider in taking position.
“The only new area is about the Value Added Tax, which is based on consumption. So where we have high population and they consume a lot of commodities, definitely, such place will generate more VAT. Then it is believed and it is equitable and fair that those people that pay more of VAT should enjoy more,” the senator said.
Adaramodu, who said the tax reform bill was planned in such a way that it would encourage productivity, said, “When it is time to conduct a public hearing, people should come there and showcase their own ideas, feelings and contributions so that when we aggregate all these, that is what the National Assembly will be putting into our final position on the tax reform bill,” he said.
The Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Alabi, expressed joy over the successful celebration of Ilawe Unity Day and as well developments in the kingdom since he ascended to the throne.
The monarch said, “With the support of my people, we have got a federal college of education, a teaching hospital annex, a high court, a magistrate court, a general hospital and good access roads to llawe from not less than five neighbouring towns, including the state capital, Ado Ekiti. I pray that many more will come”.
Oba Alabi thanked Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, “for his vision in making all our roads motorable. For example, the governor made llawe to Erinjiyan, Ilawe to Igede, Ilawe to Ado-Ekiti motorable. The tarring of Ilawe to Ikere Road is ongoing. We are grateful for these. We also thank the governor for supporting the state general hospital along Ilawe-Ikere Road.”
The community, on the occasion, conferred chieftaincy titles on Senator Orji Kalu and Otunba Rasaq Adesanya.
Also honoured was the Chairman of the Ekiti South West Local Government Area, Richard Apolola; Prof Ifedayo Akomolede; and post-humous honour on Mrs Josephine Olayemi.