FG’s plan to increase VAT is cruel, says PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described plans by the federal government to increase value-added tax on specific items as cruel and anti-people.

In a statement on Friday, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP spokesperson, said the move shows that President Muhammadu Buhari is insensitive to the plight of the citizens who are already groaning under economic hardship.

On Wednesday, Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, had announced that the federal executive council was studying the possibility of a VAT increase and would take a request to the national assembly for an amendment of the VAT law. Ologbondiyan said unlike Buhari, Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the PDP, will properly harness resources and create wealth for the good of the citizens if elected as president.

“The party and its campaign say such a plan is cruel, anti-people and further exposes President Buhari as uncaring and insensitive to the plight of Nigerians, who are already overburdened and groaning under the economic hardship occasioned by his harsh policies and incompetence in office,” the statement read.

“President Buhari is aware that the increase in taxes directly results in increase in the costs of common goods and services on which families depend for survival, yet he is imposing them on the system.

“It is indeed heartrending that at a time other leaders all over the world are seeking ways to lift burdens off the shoulders of their citizens, President Buhari is rather planning to put more burden on Nigerians, if he is allowed to continue in office beyond May 29.

“President Buhari has shown that he lacks the capacity to harness our nation’s resources to create wealth for the benefit of Nigerians, but harbours the plan to fleece the people with stringent taxes. A vote for President Buhari is therefore a vote for more economic hardship in our country.

“Moreover, President Buhari should rather recover the over N14 trillion public funds siphoned by the cabal in his Presidency and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) instead of pushing the brunt of the corruption in his administration to Nigerians.

“Atiku Abubakar is completely averse to burdening of citizens for which he has already worked out a template for immediate elimination of multiple taxation, slashing of income taxes and in return increase government funding to small and medium enterprises to empower Nigerians across board.”

The Cable