Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned President Bola Tinubu that the proposed increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) from 7.5 per cent to 20 per cent would deepen the domestic cost-of-living crisis and exacerbate Nigeria’s already fragile economic growth.
Atiku in a statement issued Sunday said this move unveils a new era of regressive and punitive policies.
He said: “President Bola Tinubu, alongside his coterie of advisers, has resolved to raise the VAT rate from 7.5% to 10%, even as the NNPCL has announced a soaring PMS price increase at the pump.
“President Tinubu and his entourage seem to be resorting to their familiar tactic: heaping burdens upon the impoverished while steadfastly ignoring their extravagant excesses!
“Tinubu’s actions reflect a profound insensitivity to the plight of the less fortunate as he indulges in the opulent renovation of villas and the acquisition of new jets and vehicles for himself and his family.”
Atiku stressed that one needs not be an economist to grasp the ominous implications of Tinubu’s ill-conceived policies for Nigeria’s future.
He added that the relentless rise in taxes and interest rates has proven excessively onerous, debilitating businesses of all sizes and leading to job losses while intensifying the suffering of the poor.
Atiku noted: “The manufacturing sector, in particular, has endured relentless strife since Tinubu’s ascendancy, with its contribution to the GDP diminishing by over 20% since December 2023, as reported by the NBS.
“In early August, Tinubu turned his attention to agriculture. As is customary with this administration, a new policy was clandestinely formulated and announced, permitting duty-free importation of agricultural commodities such as wheat, maize, and paddy, despite vehement opposition from farmer groups nationwide.
“This policy poses a grave threat to Nigeria’s food security ambitions, as local farmers, facing unfair competition from low-cost producers in Asia, Europe, and America, are compelled to reduce or entirely abandon their production efforts.
“It jeopardizes job creation, wealth generation, and the sector’s long-term prosperity, casting a shadow over Nigeria’s sustainability and development.”
Atiku urged Tinubu and his advisers to redirect their efforts towards crafting sustainable solutions to the systemic shocks afflicting the economy rather than compounding the crisis with measures destined to ignite further turmoil.