The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, on Saturday accused President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), of overburdening Nigerians with taxes and tariffs since 2015.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, the PDP chairman said unlike other world leaders who were raising stimulus packages to cushion the biting effects of COVID-19 on their citizens, the president was heaping more burdens on Nigerians with his endless taxes and tariffs.
He said: “This action is strangulating the nation’s economy, killing Small and Medium Enterprises, (SMEs) and causing investors flight to other neighbouring countries where business environment is conducive and friendly.
“I find it laughable and contradictory that a regime that multiplies the people’s taxes and hikes prices indiscriminately at this pandemic period is talking of lifting some Nigerians out of poverty with such draconian and insensitive policies that earned the country the ignoble title of capital of the world poor under the watch of President Buhari.
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“In September 2019, his government hiked VAT to rate payable in Nigeria from 5 to 7.5 percent after January 2016 introduction of N50 stamp duty by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in September 2019, it imposed charges on cash deposits and withdrawals above N500,000 for individuals and N3 million for corporate accounts.
“After February 2016, there was a 45 percent increase in electricity tariffs with a claim that it will result in a better power supply services. The regime has just announced another upward review of electricity tariffs from July 1st, 2020 with power supply getting worse than ever.
“The policy thrust of Buhari’s administration has deliberately been set towards loading Nigerians with heavy burden through mindless revenue hike in virtually every item of human endeavour.”
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