Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has declared support for the VAT Reform Bills being debated by the Senate for passage into law, saying that each state deserved its fair share of the VAT generated by it and should not expect to share equally with states that generated lesser or more.
National Spokesperson of the coalition, Comrade Mark Adebayo, said this in reaction to fresh opposition to the bills by Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State and mainly the northern lawmakers led by Senator Alli Ndume, noting that while the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government’s so-called economic reforms were not working in favour of regular Nigerians, the North had shot itself in the foot by its discrimination against certain products.
CUPP, while agreeing to the fact that Governor Zulum and Senator Ndume were fighting for the entire North, however, posited that if one had banned alcohol in his or her domains, he or she couldn’t expect to share accruable taxes from alcohol as the North had done, insisting that VAT percentage payable must be in accordance with each state’s contribution to the national pool.
“Well, the contradictions in Northern opposition to the tax reform is glaring. While the Tinubu government’s so-called economic reforms are not working in favour of regular Nigerians, the North has shot itself on the foot by its discrimination against certain products.
“For instance, if you have banned alcohol in your domains, you can’t expect to share accruable taxes from alcohol.
“Moreover, it is my personal opinion that each state deserves its fair share of the VAT generated by it but can’t expect to share equally with states that generate lesser or more.
“The percentage must be in accordance with each state’s contribution to the national pool, methinks,” he said.
“Of course, I’ll consider that Governor Zulum and Senator Ndume are fighting for the entire North. That’s the idea,” he concluded.
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