Northern states urged to boost revenue amid tax reform controversies

As the controversy over the new tax reforms rages, States and LGAs in the Northern region have been advised to quickly devise means to generate revenue in order to keep governance running.

The advice was given by a Bauchi based Politician and Traditional Titleholder of Dangiwan Dass and Masun Lere, Alhaji Danjuma Bala Rafawa in an interactive session with Journalists in Bauchi on Thursday on the proposed Bill on National Revenue Generation and Distribution.

He told the States and Local Government Councils in Northern Nigeria that time has come for them to wake up from economic slumber and devise various legitimate means of generating more revenue to be able to execute projects and run government affairs effectively.

Danjuma Bala explained that if the Bill is passed into law, it would be of great disadvantage to states in the North because of the derivation formula.

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He however pointed out that the proposed Bill stipulates that States with high concentration of industries are to benefit more while those with no or less concentration are to have less share of revenue allocation there by making it difficult for the affected states to prosecute projects, pay worker’s salary and other expenditure.

The Traditional Titleholder however, charged stakeholders in the region to focus more on the establishing industries and States government to come up with policies that would ease doing business for sustainable economic growth.

Danjuma Bala Rafawa also stressed the need for states in the North to adequately use their comparative advantages in boosting the economy of the region especially through agriculture and mining activities to curve the rising unemployment and poverty.

He said that time has come for the leaders to reflect on the mission and vision of the founding fathers, the likes of Late Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawabalewa and Late Premier, Sir Ahmadu Bello whose legacy on economic development still exist.

Alhaji Danjuma Bala also advised tertiary institutions own by northern states to concentrate on research and innovations for enhanced economic growth and development.

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